Recommended modules 1-20?

[danzibr]

I don't mean modules like Shackled City that take you from 1 to 20, I mean the following: suppose you bring a group from 1 to 20. What modules would you use, in order?

I'm especially interested in modules which 1) involve decent-sized cities, those 2) with mysteries, and those that 3) get the players invested in a certain area. We can even throw on 4) train some villagers and the like and do a small-scale village defense.

For example, RHoD looks totally awesome, but it involves going from town to town, so the players don't get invested in a specific area. Feel free to mention RHoD of course, if you like it.

[RFLS]

Uhm....well, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil is (I think) 4-14, so there's that. Pathfinder APs generally start at 1, so you could look there, too, but I'm not very familiar with any of them. I'm also curious about this, because I've got a few groups going through RHoD and I'm looking for some stuff to chain into it.

[Palanan]

In my first 3.5 campaign, our DM started us out with the generic early modules, Sunless Citadel and Forge of Fury. While our party worked through those, however, our DM worked up a side story that became the main arc, involving a necromancer dominating a local baron.

Along the way, the necromancer tricked us (almost effortlessly, I'm afraid) into taking a long, near-catastrophic detour through Undermountain, after which we regrouped in Waterdeep and came after the necromancer again. We were quite invested in the baron's town and were using it as a base of operations for a while, and it would've been easy to add a little Seven Samurai in there.

No major cities in those modules themselves, but our DM worked in the Waterdeep connection easily enough. Even if you're not running in the Realms, Waterdeep is so detailed that you can lift out entire sections and use them where you like. Later we moved on to Silverymoon, which is likewise easily transferable, especially if you leave out the mythal.

[Octopusapult]

In the back of the Eberron base book is a fairly decent lv-1 module. It leaves off with a few questions for the DM to make answers for, but overall I had a pretty good time running it.

Other than that, WotC used to have a module every week or day or something like that. You could try looking through their 3.5 archives for some fun ones.

[molten_dragon]

I don't mean modules like Shackled City that take you from 1 to 20, I mean the following: suppose you bring a group from 1 to 20. What modules would you use, in order?

I'm especially interested in modules which 1) involve decent-sized cities, those 2) with mysteries, and those that 3) get the players invested in a certain area. We can even throw on 4) train some villagers and the like and do a small-scale village defense.

For example, RHoD looks totally awesome, but it involves going from town to town, so the players don't get invested in a specific area. Feel free to mention RHoD of course, if you like it.

The problem is that there are very few high-level modules, because market research has shown that not many people play high level games.

Your best bet would probably be to grab one of the pathfinder APs and come up with some stuff to run after it.

[W3bDragon]

I don't mean modules like Shackled City that take you from 1 to 20, I mean the following: suppose you bring a group from 1 to 20. What modules would you use, in order?

I'm especially interested in modules which 1) involve decent-sized cities, those 2) with mysteries, and those that 3) get the players invested in a certain area. We can even throw on 4) train some villagers and the like and do a small-scale village defense.

For example, RHoD looks totally awesome, but it involves going from town to town, so the players don't get invested in a specific area. Feel free to mention RHoD of course, if you like it.

I'm currently running the Curse of the Crimson Throne AP by Paizo. Its designed to be from level 1 to 16 or so. We're about a quarter of the way through it, and it definitely fits the bill of what you're asking about. Most of the events take place in and around the city of Korvosa, one of the most developed cities of the Golarian world and the players are growing rather fond of the place.

The encounters vary between combat, mystery, intrigue, and problem solving. I don't think it has number 4 of your wish list however.

[dysprosium]

I've had good success with the War of the Burning Sky series from EN Publishing and the Age of Worms adventure path from the Dungeon magazines.

Both paths meet your criteria though the WotBS has more of the city defense you are looking for and city investiture.

[killem2]

The age of worms module can take you from 1-20, or be played individually.

It's pretty awesome how they made it.