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Chainsaw Hobbit
2013-03-16, 10:58 PM
What are your favorite adventures written for D&D (or a game derived from D&D)?

My list, on no particular order ...

Barrowmaze (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/98978/Barrowmaze-I?term=barrowmaze&affiliate_id=294744) (Labyrinth Lord) ... A megadungeon adventure that should last any group many, many hours. It is challenging, atmospheric, and at times somewhat frightening. It also has lots and lots of fun undead.

Carrion Hill (http://paizo.com/products/btpy8baj) (Pathfinder) ... I like how it has the atmosphere and setup of a Call of Cthulhu scenario, but still feels uniquely like D&D. The art and writing are also great.

We Be Goblins! (http://paizo.com/products/btpy8j5w?Pathfinder-Module-We-Be-Goblins) (Pathfinder) ... One of the only comedy-themed adventures for anything that I actually find funny. Good for one-shots with new players or kids.

The Created (http://www.dndclassics.com/product/17477/RM2-The-Created-%282e%29?term=created&it=1&affiliate_id=294744) (AD&D Second Edition) ... Underrated, quite fun, and actually kind of philosophical. It could be awful in the hands of the wrong group, though.

The People of the Pit (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/102637/Dungeon-Crawl-Classics-%2368%3A-People-of-the-Pit?term=people+pit&affiliate_id=294744) (Dungeon Crawl Classics) ... I don't like how there is a way to skip most of the dungeon and go straight to the end, but that is easily remedied. One of the most inventive and flavorful adventures made for anything. It feels like it could be a particularly high-magic Conan story or something.

Demonspore (http://www.lulu.com/shop/matthew-finch/demonspore/paperback/product-18698922.html) (Swords & Wizardry) ... I love fungus, and frogs, and weird cults of long-dead gods. Demonspore has all of those. And a cool backstory. And flexibility in terms of how it can be approached. And a frog-monster with several heads.

I shall think of more later.

ArcturusV
2013-03-16, 11:07 PM
Mostly it's a question of nostalgia. And if that's the case I would typically go with the first two Adventure Modules I actually played.

Which would be Keep on the Borderlands.

And the other one I cannot for the life of me remember. Involved sailing to some Land of the Lost type island with savage tribes, jungles, lost temples, dinosaurs, etc. Very pulpy, very fun.

Other than that, none really jump out as a "Favorite".

I suppose the Haunted Mansion adventure from my ADnD 2nd Edition Introductory Box might count. I don't run the adventure as is... at all. Hardly ever have. But I have ripped off the concept and used the basic framework of it several times before. It's a fun little thing to run.

Oh, and Reverse Dungeon was kinda fun as a break from the typical sort of game.

Surfnerd
2013-03-17, 12:10 PM
The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, which is totally nostalgia fueled, being my introduction to D&D and roleplaying.

And Night of the Walking Dead(Ravenloft). Great adventure had fun running it back in the day. Always liked Ravenloft and really loved the fluff that White Wolf (Arthaus)did later on with the campaign world er.. demiplane.

Rhynn
2013-03-17, 12:34 PM
The Ruins of Undermountain, the AD&D 2E boxed set. The best megadungeon, for me. I like everything, from the open nature of the content (it forces you to fill in the blanks, which increase the deeper you go, and leaves the lower levels up to you to create and map, which is exactly what it should do, IMO) to the art to the rooms and descriptions to the monsters (including the not-really-a-combat-encounter surprises, like the vampyre). The only bit I don't like is the trap cards, because the traps are just too "haw haw, your years of dungeoneering experience turned against you there!"

OverdrivePrime
2013-03-17, 02:29 PM
Just spend the last 9 months running my group through the Pathfinder module, The Harrowing (http://paizo.com/products/btpy8lv9).
In my 21 years of game mastering, this is only the second module I've ever run, and my players and I loved it. Wonderfully imaginative and filled with fun little details and options, it's also crazy deep. And because it occurs on a pocket dimension, it can fit into just about any campaign. In my game, the players are the only humans in existence (brought in via dimensional magic), so I just changed any references to humans in the module to be either elves, hobgoblins or halflings. Great fun, and a very satisfying ending.

Lord Torath
2013-03-17, 08:44 PM
And the other one I cannot for the life of me remember. Involved sailing to some Land of the Lost type island with savage tribes, jungles, lost temples, dinosaurs, etc. Very pulpy, very fun.
I suspect you mean The Isle of Dread (http://www.waynesbooks.com/DDModulesXseries.html). I had a lot of fun with that one as well. Castle Amber (next module down on the linked site) was a fun adventure also (though some of the stuff was very random as to whether it was good for you or not, with no clues to help you decide).

Rhynn
2013-03-17, 09:22 PM
This makes me realize something weird - I know I loaned a lot of D&D adventures from the library as a kid (Rahasia, Castle Caldwell, Expert Set & Isle of Dread, etc.), but I don't think I ever ran them or played in them... whoever GM'd just did their own thing. I do know I ran the Basic Set DM book adventure at least once (everyone got murdered by kobolds), but that was about it.

ArcturusV
2013-03-17, 09:58 PM
Yes, Isle of Dread, that was it. I can remember that burnt orange cover.

Fun times, fun times.

navar100
2013-03-18, 08:06 AM
I haven't played or at least not realized I played that many published modules. However, there are two I really liked.

The first was a 2E series, known as U1, U2, and U3, all about Salt Marsh and a zombie master, smugglers, and sahuagin. We made friends with the Lizardmen. The best part was the pseudodragon took a liking to my paladin and made me his "mount".

The second is the 3E introduction Sunless Citadel. I really liked Meepo. It was cool the party was able to befriend the kobolds. They were very grateful we took care of their goblin problem and rescued their "pet". we became honorary members of their tribe. Ever since then I have a real hard time thinking of kobolds as evil bad guy monsters. I don't want to even think about Tucker's Kobolds anymore.

Eldan
2013-03-18, 08:39 AM
I've read a few dozen adventures, and I can really only think of two that I would consider running (and have).

Harbinger House, which has a few nice mysteries, a very epic conclusion, and several parties of bad guys fighting each other that can all be made interesting with some rewriting.

Desire and the Dead the way I've seen it run (two times to the end, so far), it's more a collection of weird little encounters and sidequests than a linear story (though it has a potential main plot and conclusion), and most of them are fun, if built up a bit.

Hendel
2013-03-18, 09:34 AM
Again, this is probably a question of nostalgia based on when you began playing. As I rolled my first dice in 1980 in middle school, I am a fan of the following:

#1 - The Temple of Elemental Evil (super module including the Village of Hommlet, great story arc and adventure)

#2 - Tomb of Horrors (I prefer it as a DM as opposed to being a player)

#3 - Keep on the Bordelands (Classic Basic D&D!! Kill the bad guys because they are there.)

#4 - White Plume Mountain (A fun romp or a great campaign starter with Keraptis and the weapons, etc.)

#5 - A Series Slavelord modules (My first real set of adventures that connected into a larger story arc and theme)

#6 - Queen of the Demonweb Pits (Extraplanar death at every turn)

#7 - Kingmaker Adventure Path (Really nice set of rules for developing a kingdom other than just the ad hoc building of a keep and clearing out the area from the old days.)

#8 - Against the Giants (Nice compilation of the three giant series modules and a great lead into the confrontation with Lolth in the Queen of the Demonweb Pits)

#9 - Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth and the much less known Temple of Tharizdun (High level fun and a challenging set of obstacles.)

#10 - Isle of the Ape (This took my memories of the Isle of Dread from the Expert set and pumped it up several notches!!)

Again, a lot of these are old school modules (do they still even use that term?) but they are what I cut my teeth on, so they hold a special place in my heart.

Khedrac
2013-03-18, 01:37 PM
The first was a 2E series, known as U1, U2, and U3, all about Salt Marsh and a zombie master, smugglers, and sahuagin. We made friends with the Lizardmen. The best part was the pseudodragon took a liking to my paladin and made me his "mount".
Now that is curious - they are 1st Ed AD&D modules.

Not sure if I have a favorite (my mind does not normally work that way) but lots of the old 1st Ed AD&D and the B/E/C/M modules were real classics.

I got to hear all about a group playing "M1 Into the Maelstrom" from the DM (before I joined the group) - master level D&D - and it is a great module.
UK7 Dark Clouds Gather (AD&D) looked like a really great module, but I never got to run it :( In fact most of the UK modules were generally regarded as excellent.

As already mentioned X1 Isle of Dread was a blast (even if you went in far too high level) - the Orange cover means it was the Metzner edition where the map + room description confused our DM at one point - they should have left it the way it was in the earlier blue cover version.

CM1 Test of the Warlords looked as if would be good to run (so long as you gave the NPCs stats that gave them a chance of reaching their levels)/

Etc.

Hendel
2013-03-18, 01:44 PM
The first was a 2E series, known as U1, U2, and U3, all about Salt Marsh and a zombie master, smugglers, and sahuagin. We made friends with the Lizardmen. The best part was the pseudodragon took a liking to my paladin and made me his "mount".

I also loved the Saltmarsh series. The first one, The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, is a great 1st level adventure. There is nothing like capturing your own ship at low levels.

The second one, The Danger at Dunwater, was a little more complex as the players quickly found out that they were not really supposed to kill all the lizardmen. If they did, they lost a potential ally and/or had to pay huge sums to make up for it.

The Final Enemy was just brutal. The entire party has to have a way to breathe and fight underwater for extended periods of time againt the ruthless sahuagin. Deadly, very deadly!!

Ianuagonde
2013-03-18, 01:58 PM
No one mentioned Red Hand of Doom? I'm surprised.

It really captures the feeling of a war, and hits the spot just right: PC's can make valuable contributions to the outcome, without being reduced to cannon fodder or messengers for powerful NPC's. The players can choose to assasinate enemy commanders, forge alliances, interrogate prisoners, the works. Meanwhile, they're on a clock and they know it; they can't do everything.

My players considered it the best adventure they've played (best as in most fun). They were especially pleased with all the freedom they had, while in truth they followed the outline from A to Z.

evil-frosty
2013-03-18, 02:44 PM
No one mentioned Red Hand of Doom? I'm surprised.

It really captures the feeling of a war, and hits the spot just right: PC's can make valuable contributions to the outcome, without being reduced to cannon fodder or messengers for powerful NPC's. The players can choose to assasinate enemy commanders, forge alliances, interrogate prisoners, the works. Meanwhile, they're on a clock and they know it; they can't do everything.

My players considered it the best adventure they've played (best as in most fun). They were especially pleased with all the freedom they had, while in truth they followed the outline from A to Z.

To be perfectly honest Red Hand of Doom is a piece if crap compared to most of the old AD&D and 2nd Ed modules, since so many of them were really well done. Though Red hand of Doom is still a pretty good mod just not compared to the older ones.

Personally I love Against the Giants and the Keep on the Borderlands as they were my introduction to D&D.

navar100
2013-03-18, 05:24 PM
I also loved the Saltmarsh series. The first one, The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, is a great 1st level adventure. There is nothing like capturing your own ship at low levels.

The second one, The Danger at Dunwater, was a little more complex as the players quickly found out that they were not really supposed to kill all the lizardmen. If they did, they lost a potential ally and/or had to pay huge sums to make up for it.

The Final Enemy was just brutal. The entire party has to have a way to breathe and fight underwater for extended periods of time againt the ruthless sahuagin. Deadly, very deadly!!

In dealing with the smugglers on their ship there was a lizardman but he jumped ship. The party weren't expecting one. We spoke with the Salt Marsh authorities about it. They said the Lizardmen have been cordial with them in the past, and they find them working with the smugglers disturbing. The party agreed to investigate and ask the Lizardmen. Playing the paladin, I insisted with the party, and they agreed, that when we approach the Lizardmen they aren't our enemy. We only want to talk. Also, in truth we are invading their territory, so if they put up resistance, we are to use minimal non-lethal force.

That's what happened. We only used subdual damage when the cave guards attacked. The bard fascinated their mounts. Entering the cave we continued to use subdual. When finally we met a lizardman who could speak common, we immediately dropped our weapons, surrendered, and plead our case. The fact that we used subdual, hurting no one, was a big plus to our negotiations. They verified they have no ill will towards Salt Marsh and told us about the sahuagin. They were just getting supplies from the smugglers to fight them. I felt very much a paladin that adventure.

magwaaf
2013-03-18, 08:48 PM
currently my friends and i are in a faerun game tat has been going on for a year and a half. it's been fantastic so far and has been the best at helping me bebetter at the garp part of dnd

Negativethac0
2013-03-19, 11:22 AM
I think that 'Neither man nor Beast' for AD&D will always hold a special place for me, just because it was the first prewritten adventure I ran as a GM. Not that I found it especially good, but hey.

I'm very fond of the entire Carrion Crown-campaign, although that's cheating compared to the original question, so I'd have to go for chapter two of it. I had a blast running "Trial of the Beast" and my players enjoyed it very much.

Some of the adventures of "Savage Tide" were really great too. The entire journey at sea in chapter 3 (can't remember its name) is definately also one I'll remember.

DonEsteban
2013-03-20, 11:50 AM
One of my favorites is the Freeport Trilogy (http://greenronin.com/freeport/). Pirates, intrigues, deception and a big Evil lurking under the city give rise for a great adventure. There's a kickstarter running for a pathfinder version of the setting, btw.

It is funny how almost all of the adventures named are fairly low-level. Many below level 5, almost all below 10. Aren't there any really good high level adventures going beyond level 14 or so?

Rhynn
2013-03-20, 01:28 PM
It is funny how almost all of the adventures named are fairly low-level. Many below level 5, almost all below 10. Aren't there any really good high level adventures going beyond level 14 or so?

Lower-level adventures or modules are a smarter thing to create and sell. In older D&D, getting past 9th level was pretty rare. It's still not the rule in 3E. And they're harder to write and harder to integrate - characters who have made it to level 10+, much less 15+, probably exist in a very well-defined world by that point...

Khedrac
2013-03-20, 03:30 PM
It is funny how almost all of the adventures named are fairly low-level. Many below level 5, almost all below 10. Aren't there any really good high level adventures going beyond level 14 or so?
Lower-level adventures or modules are a smarter thing to create and sell. In older D&D, getting past 9th level was pretty rare. It's still not the rule in 3E. And they're harder to write and harder to integrate - characters who have made it to level 10+, much less 15+, probably exist in a very well-defined world by that point...
I completely agree with Rhynn here, also I find lower level more entertaining to play. One of the features of a level and hit-point based system like all D&D variants is that higher level encounters usually take longer to run. 3rd Ed actually makes this worse, despite the plethora of fast-kill options out there.
When a single big fight can take several hours to resolve (even if it is only a few rounds) even if the game it still "great" it loses something (pace mainly) - hence the profusion of low-level adventures.

Another point is that low level characters are easier to write generic adventures for - they are less likely to be able to break things by having unexpected items or class synergies. As a result the low-level adventures usually have a better chance of being great.

One of the things I like about Metzner D&D was that by bringing the boxes for different levels out as a series they had more time to develop the high level options. That said I do think most of the Companion level adventures very underwhelming (and CM2 & CM7 read as very poor offerings) mainly focusing on the problems of running dominions, while the Master level adventures are more mixed (I still want to run M4 Five Coins for a Kingdom some time).
Does anyone know of any other adventures where one gets to go to the inside of the sun?
Now there's a thought - has anyone done a D20 conversion of it?

Rhynn
2013-03-20, 06:42 PM
I completely agree with Rhynn here, also I find lower level more entertaining to play.

So very agreed. Something like 3-9 is the sweet spot. I'm pretty good having characters semi-retire at 9th or 10th (when they build their stronghold).


Another point is that low level characters are easier to write generic adventures for - they are less likely to be able to break things by having unexpected items or class synergies. As a result the low-level adventures usually have a better chance of being great.

This. Frankly, I think some of worst adventures are the ones explicitly written to defeat high-level tactics in nonsensical ways for no real reason. I can swallow the Undermountain being teleport-proofed - that's common sense - but when you lay out traps to counter good use of spells etc., it's getting a bit iffy.


One of the things I like about Metzner D&D was that by bringing the boxes for different levels out as a series they had more time to develop the high level options. That said I do think most of the Companion level adventures very underwhelming (and CM2 & CM7 read as very poor offerings) mainly focusing on the problems of running dominions, while the Master level adventures are more mixed (I still want to run M4 Five Coins for a Kingdom some time).

Yeah, my eyes just glaze over on the Companions level modules and just skimming the higher level ones makes me want to put them down. (Not even talking Immortals. Bleah!) But the Basic and Expert modules are pure gold, by and large. And at this point, they possess a perfectly enchanting magic for me. Heck, I might even get a kick out of Ghost of Lion Castle, crummy solo adventure that it is, not to mention the joy I feel at just the idea of running Isle of Dread or Rahasia or Palace of the Silver Princess or ...

Semi-randomly... was there ever some kind of re-print of Palace of the Silver Princess with a different cover and interior layout? Because the Finnish translation had a different cover (an Elmore piece, I think, with a bearded dude riding a white dragon), a different interior layout, and IIRC different maps - and none of the encounters in the original ring familiar to me. It's pretty rare for the translations to be that re-edited. Meanwhile, I know every piece of art, every encounter, and every map in Castle Caldwell and Beyond by heart even though I can't recall the name of the Finnish translation, and the same goes for Rahasia (the translation being based off the B7 module, not the old RPGA one).

Silus
2013-03-20, 06:58 PM
I think the most enjoyable pre-made adventure I've played for tabletop was probably the Pathfinder Society Adventure "The Pallid Plague".

The basic gist is that you're sent to this logging village to stop an Urgathoan cult from spreading this disease that'll slowly kill lots of people.

The reason it is remembered so fondly is because I was playing a Plague Druid at the time (Blight Druid with the Decay subdomain) who worshiped Urgathoa. Much shenanigans were had.

Hendel
2013-03-20, 08:58 PM
Now there's a thought - has anyone done a D20 conversion of it?
No, but I have converted T 1-4 the Temple of Elemental Evil and I am working on A 1-4 Scourge of the Slavelords (supermodule) for Pathfinder for a campaign that I plan to DM starting in April. I am looking forward to it!


Semi-randomly... was there ever some kind of re-print of Palace of the Silver Princess with a different cover and interior layout? Because the Finnish translation had a different cover (an Elmore piece, I think, with a bearded dude riding a white dragon), a different interior layout, and IIRC different maps - and none of the encounters in the original ring familiar to me. It's pretty rare for the translations to be that re-edited. Meanwhile, I know every piece of art, every encounter, and every map in Castle Caldwell and Beyond by heart even though I can't recall the name of the Finnish translation, and the same goes for Rahasia (the translation being based off the B7 module, not the old RPGA one).
The picture of the bearded guy with the dragon is from page 3 on the inside of the Palace of the Silver Princess in my copy.

Rhynn
2013-03-21, 11:50 AM
The picture of the bearded guy with the dragon is from page 3 on the inside of the Palace of the Silver Princess in my copy.

Completely different picture. You can't really see it here (http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic890225_t.jpg), but it's the biggest one I can find. That's the cover for the Finnish version of B3. It's a recognizable later-80s white dragon (http://www.dragnix.net/Role_Playing/white_drg.gif) with crest, white-bearded dude's riding it, full color, looks like Larry Elmore art as far as I can recall.

Hendel
2013-03-21, 12:37 PM
Completely different picture. You can't really see it here (http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic890225_t.jpg), but it's the biggest one I can find. That's the cover for the Finnish version of B3. It's a recognizable later-80s white dragon (http://www.dragnix.net/Role_Playing/white_drg.gif) with crest, white-bearded dude's riding it, full color, looks like Larry Elmore art as far as I can recall.
I stand corrected! It almost looks like a Dragonlance module cover.

http://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/modpages/foreign/forscans/b36finnish.html

Lord Torath
2013-03-21, 01:12 PM
Semi-randomly... was there ever some kind of re-print of Palace of the Silver Princess with a different cover and interior layout? Because the Finnish translation had a different cover (an Elmore piece, I think, with a bearded dude riding a white dragon), a different interior layout, and IIRC different maps - and none of the encounters in the original ring familiar to me. It's pretty rare for the translations to be that re-edited. Meanwhile, I know every piece of art, every encounter, and every map in Castle Caldwell and Beyond by heart even though I can't recall the name of the Finnish translation, and the same goes for Rahasia (the translation being based off the B7 module, not the old RPGA one).
Yes, there was. The first version of B3 - Palace of the Silver Princess was much more like B1 - In Search of the Unknown, in that many of the rooms were unfinished, waiting for the DM to fill them in. It also featured a picture of a (fully clothed) woman being tied up by her own hair by 9 little men. This caused one of the TSR execs to apoplexy (Not in an introductory module! Kids will see this!), and thus there were only like 300 copies or so of the original version. You used to be able to download the original version from WotC's website, along with the history of the module (probably much more accurate than what I said here).

There was a slight plot change as well: Instead of being a victim of the curse, the Silver Princess was in on the evil plot.

Thialfi
2013-03-21, 01:24 PM
No love for Planescape? I can honestly say the most fun I have ever had playing D&D was our run through Dead Gods.

I must be the exception, because many people here seemed to enjoy the low level stuff most. Not me.

Other top modules for me were;

Die, Vecna, Die
Return to Tomb of Horrors
Dragon Crown
Black Spine

obryn
2013-03-21, 01:43 PM
Hmmm, I love T1-4, but I think most of that good-will is for T1, because it's a great little intro adventure. (The first Temple bits are good, too. It loses steam once it gets wacko with the nodes, though.)

I love B4, The Lost City, and am currently running it in Dungeon World.

In 3.x, I loved running The Banewarrens.

I have a nostalgia-tinged soft spot for S1 Tomb of Horrors. :smallredface:

Mostly, though, I'm rolling my own adventures instead of using others'.

-O

hamlet
2013-03-21, 02:21 PM
I have a softspot for Castles Forlorn (a Ravenloft mega module) as it was really, for me from a player's perspective, a great deal of fun.

The Saltmarsh series, too, is just tremendously fun. I'm going to start running those on Monday night for a group some of whom have never played AD&D ever. Should be fun.

T1, but not the rest of the supermodule is great for an opening adventure.

There are some others, but I'm blanking on names.

Joe the Rat
2013-03-21, 03:09 PM
Yeah, most of my experience has been home made or kitbashed.

Tomb of Horrors was its own sort of awesome, in a sick masochistic way. (protip: Play ToH with overzealous munchkins. They're so busy trying to grab all the goods for themselves that they "discover" most of the hazards for you.)

DigoDragon
2013-03-22, 06:16 AM
I've never played in pre-made modules, but my favorite one to run was Expedition to Castle Ravenloft. I added a few extra NPCs and plotlines to it so it would fit better into the campaign world I had, but the adventure itself is really fun if your group is into gothic scares.

I don't own Red Hand of Doom, but I'd love to try that one out someday.