Favorite D&D modules

[Rhynn]

What are your favorite AD&D 1E and Basic D&D (BECM) modules, and why?

AD&D 2E too, if you really want, although there were precious few actual modules for 2E... I'm talking the old-school "here's a location" type modules, not the "here's a plot" adventures. DL1+ still count in my mind, but obviously it's a matter of personal preference.

I was just working on converting G1 for ACKS (as part of converting the whole GDQ campaign; I'm doing a dual conversion, for Forgotten Realms and for an as-yet vague Viking/Norse campaign setting where Lolth is replaced with Hel), and I really, really freaking like it:
1. It's a basic, straightforward, simply-presented adventure location. Here's a room, here's the contents.
2. It's not a funhouse; the manticores and troglodytes are the only things "out of place," and both are sort of justified (and neither is that central). There's a lot of giants and creatures that have a reason to be there.
3. There's some very simple guidelines for the DM to have the location react to the PCs: the DM is made very aware of the idea that noise will attract nearby monsters (and there's some specific guidelines for when it won't and when it really will), and there's notes for what happens if the PCs burn down the place. (It's made of wood, so the odds are probably 25%.)
4. There's internal dynamics, especially the orcs in the dungeon. There's a general sense of the place being "alive."
5. Words aren't wasted on "if this, then that" for a million contingencies and events. You're the DM, you can figure it out!
6. It's given a larger context and has a lot of room for expansion, both as connections to the following modules and as locations in the dungeon you could expand from (underground tunnels, sinkholes, the blocked stairs).
7. The Lovecraftian temple is a great detail, and I love that it's not explained at all. (For FR, the connections to Juiblex and Ghaunadaur are obvious.)

"Nosnra" is the only part I really don't like. I mean, come on, Gary. That's pathetic.

I'm very much looking forward to fitting the scenario (and the whole series) to both settings. For FR, it's going to be set in Savage North, and is only going to kick off once the PCs are 9th level or slightly above: their own domains will be attacked by giants, ogres, and orcs, and because giants and ogres would just destroy their small militaries, they have to handle matters personally, by getting at the heart of the enemy's conspiracy.

For the Norse/Viking campaign setting, the re-working will be more total: the G1-3 modules will be largely unchanged, but the D1-3 modules are going to be more heavily altered, with the PCs descending into Nifelheimr, fighting dökkálfar, and finally facing off against Hel in her divine domain (Hel being, not coincidentally, either half or full jotun, daughter of Loki and Angrbodha). A lot of monsters will have to be replaced or re-worked - fortunately, sagas mention countless monsters of Hel to be used, including vanar-drekar (despair-dragons), hejar-hrafnar (Hel-ravens), heiptir (furies), and dolgar.

I also have particular love for T1 The Village of Hommlet, N5 Under Illefarn, and most of the B series (I've run B4 The Lost City for my Dark Sun -based ACKS campaign).

[BWR]

I must admit the distinction between module and adventure is not apparant to me. A dungeon with some background and little or no reason is a module, but something like "The eye of Traldar", which is billed as a module, would, if I understand your definitions, not be a module because there are several locations, and hooks and expected progression of events.
I guess I'd have to go with X1- the Isle of Dread. King King ridiculousness, dinosaurs, rakasta, aranea, phanaton, the first real map of the Known World; what's not to love?
The Lost City is fun, and I have a weakness for the weird castles like Castle Amber and Palace of the Silver Princess.

[Scots Dragon]

I must admit the distinction between module and adventure is not apparant to me. A dungeon with some background and little or no reason is a module, but something like "The eye of Traldar", which is billed as a module, would, if I understand your definitions, not be a module because there are several locations, and hooks and expected progression of events.

I think the most literal definition I can think of is that the adventure modules were the ones with alphanumerical codes produced during the 1st edition era. Almost always, these modules come as part of a formal or informal series, sometimes building up one super-module or long-term adventure. Later adventures without the alphanumerical codes and without the nature as being part of a series would probably qualify as being simple 'adventures'. Honestly though the qualification is a semantic one and really the best description I can give for a module is 'old school adventure'.

So... Against the Giants (G1-3), Descent into the Depths of the Earth (D1-2), Vault of the Drow (D3) and Queen of the Demonweb Pits (Q1) are modules. But Expedition to the Demonweb Pits (no code) is not since it isn't an old school adventure with an alphanumerical code.


I suppose, however, I've already mentioned my own favourite module.

[BWR]

But a lot of the alphanumerical ones, at least from BECMI, are very definitely adventures by this definition: no mention of the word 'module' on them, hooks, real plots and fixed processions of events being the driving force and reason for the publication, multiple locations, etc. Just look at X4, X5, X10.

[Yora]

GDQ still seems to me to be the only classic series that is any good. Almost all modules are just random dungrons with no good reasons why the PCs are there and nothing to do but clear each room and get treasure and XP. I don't even know why I like GDQ, but there seems to be a sense of purpose and exploration that is usually absent. There isn't much of a story and it doesn't actually go anywhere, but it's at least something.

There have been a couple decent ones in Dungeon. The Styes and Escape from Meenlock Prision come to mind. There is a Pathfinder adventure that takes place in the Shadow Plane version of a mansion (Midnight Mirror? Midnight Mannor?), that looked quite interesting, and I still woild like to run Flight of the Red Raven one day.
But that's pretty much it. All other modules make me at the most use the basic idea and build an entirely new adventure around it.

[Rhynn]

I think the most literal definition I can think of is that the adventure modules were the ones with alphanumerical codes produced during the 1st edition era.

There's really no clear-cut split. Some AD&D 2E era adventures are very much like the modules of AD&D 1E and BECM, and some 1E adventures are more like the later 2E ones. And pretty much all AD&D 2E era adventures had the codes (RA1 Feast of Goblyns, FRC2 Curse of Azure Bonds, etc.).

It's a matter of degrees. IMO it's really easy to tell that FRQ3 Doom of Daggerdale isn't the same kind of adventure as T1 The Village of Hommlet, and still pretty easy to tell that the Undermountain Dungeon Crawl Series adventures aren't the same kind of material as the original Ruins of the Undermountain boxed set (although that's not exactly a module due to its size, it's the same type of material).

I don't think it's that useful to try to strike a clear delineation, but the only one that really could be made is "AD&D 1E and BECM adventures are modules, AD&D 2E aren't (and nothing from WotC is)."


GDQ still seems to me to be the only classic series that is any good. Almost all modules are just random dungrons with no good reasons why the PCs are there and nothing to do but clear each room and get treasure and XP. I don't even know why I like GDQ, but there seems to be a sense of purpose and exploration that is usually absent. There isn't much of a story and it doesn't actually go anywhere, but it's at least something.

Maybe you should become familiar with more of them - most modules provide a basic background and motivation. A1-4 ("slaver pirates are attacking everyone, go do something"), X1 ("explore this mysterious island!"), the I series especially, DL1 and onward (really, for all the bad advice on how to run them, at the core the DL series are mostly pretty traditional modules - and as a bonus, it's one of the few module series that use Battlesystem), B4 ("you're lost in the desert and come across a ruined city"), B7 ("these elves ask for your help"), and so on.

Even the ones with no real story are just basic adventuring: "you've heard there's treasure here." What more motivation do you need? B1 and B2 are great examples of this: there's rumor of treasure and adventure, and the PCs want treasure and adventure. It's a match made in heaven. Plus, you know, if you as a DM want more motivation or story and can't come up with it, you're not much of a DM, are you? It's pretty trivial to turn T1 The Village of Hommlet into something like Divided Allegiance (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Deed_of_Paksenarrion). These modules are mostly meant to be dropped into campaigns and be setting-independent (e.g. GDQ is set in no world, although the reprint refits it into Greyhawk and introduces a connection to Scourge of the Slavelords), so it's up to the DM to create fit them into context.

Now, critiquing funhouse dungeons is more valid, IMO; why is there a wight in this room and a manticore in the next room and a medusa in the one after them? Even when they have an excuse, they are pretty disconnected. Definitely a love-'em-or-hate-'em type of deal.

[2E Phoinex]

A lot of good ones already listed. I liked one of the introductory modules B12 Queen's Harvest. (It was actually the second in a series beginning with Kings Harvest but I never acquired the first) Nothing really flashy and obviously made for beginner players and DM's but I liked a lot of the quirky monsters and magical defenses in Kevorkian's basement. It was a fun little premise to expand upon into a more challenging and respectable adventure for lower levels. The second half was a little goofy too but I never had the pleasure of playing it with a group. I don't know if I would call it "one of the greats" but it was fun and as a new DM it was a valuable resource.

[skyth]

Let's see...B5 (Horror on the hill) is my favorite module. I love the trap on the first level of the dungeon. There is also a dungeon adventure I think it was called assault on Abbey Isle or something similar...I've run that for two groups.

B2 and B3 (Keep on the borderland and Palace of the Silver Princess) are also ones I like.

AD&D, I like the D series (More as a setting than an adventure). I also like the U series and the Temple of Elemental evil. Plus The Cult of the Reptile God.

The U series, the Temple, and the Cult all have things to make them make sense as to why things are the way they are. The U series and the Cult all have twists to make them entertaining as well :) I've had a fondness for Lizardmen and Sauhaugin due to the U modules that has lasted across many editions.

[Rhynn]

Let's see...B5 (Horror on the hill) is my favorite module. I love the trap on the first level of the dungeon. There is also a dungeon adventure I think it was called assault on Abbey Isle or something similar...I've run that for two groups.

This Abbey Isle thing doesn't sound familiar - where was it from? Any chance you can figure out the name? Assaulting abbeys would fit in perfectly in my ACKS Vikings campaign (I've already considered Horror on the Hill for it, what with the monastery).

[skyth]

This Abbey Isle thing doesn't sound familiar - where was it from? Any chance you can figure out the name? Assaulting abbeys would fit in perfectly in my ACKS Vikings campaign (I've already considered Horror on the Hill for it, what with the monastery).

It was from Dungeon Magazine. The one with the skeleton coming up out of the sand on the cover. Might just be called Isle of the Abbey. Big thing about it is that in order to get to the abbey, the PC's have to fight their way up a beach, and each square that they enter, some skeletons pop out of the sand and attack them.

[Rhynn]

Alas, alack! - I have a great Dragon collection, but no Dungeon mags.

[DigoDragon]

The original Castle Ravenloft was by far my favorite (I ran the updated 3.5 version for my players and they loved it). It was huge with a lot of great places to explore and get killed by. :3

[ken-do-nim]

Oh gosh, lots of favorites here. But I'll go ahead and pick one per edition. Some of these I haven't read in a while, so I reserve the right to retract this later.

OD&D - Caverns of Thracia
Holmes Basic - Keep on the Borderlands
AD&D - Dark Tower
B/X - Isle of Dread
BECMI - Night's Dark Terror
AD&D 2E - Gates of Firestorm Peak
D&D 3.0 - Speaker In Dreams
D&D 3.5 - Lost City of Barakus

[Rhynn]

So what do y'all think of A1-4 (AKA Scouge of the Slavelords) ? I haven't had a chance to read them all through yet (and won't in a hurry, since I'm only up to G2 in my conversion). The GDQ 1-7 reprint "bridging" material for the A-series is a bit very awful (an encounter with 1xF10 and 19xF7 and they're thugs? Right), but if the module series is solid, I'm thinking of adapting it and using it on the same campaign as an earlier stage, and keeping some of the proposed connections. The Slave Lords should be easy to turn into either Zhentarim/Kraken Society or just Luskan pirates for Faerûn, or into some particularly nasty Vikings for my Norse fantasy setting.

[Thrudd]

So what do y'all think of A1-4 (AKA Scouge of the Slavelords) ? I haven't had a chance to read them all through yet (and won't in a hurry, since I'm only up to G2 in my conversion). The GDQ 1-7 reprint "bridging" material for the A-series is a bit very awful (an encounter with 1xF10 and 19xF7 and they're thugs? Right), but if the module series is solid, I'm thinking of adapting it and using it on the same campaign as an earlier stage, and keeping some of the proposed connections. The Slave Lords should be easy to turn into either Zhentarim/Kraken Society or just Luskan pirates for Faerûn, or into some particularly nasty Vikings for my Norse fantasy setting.

A1-3 aren't bad. Some dungeoning in ruins and caverns, sneaking into a fort, weird genetic experiments gone awry, exploring a town incognito. A4 is a bit gimmicky, and needs some railroading (an unavoidable sleep gas trap), the characters need to get captured and stripped of all their possessions. It ends with an earthquake and volcanic eruption and escaping from a town in chaos while fighting the slave lords. The scenario is good for teaching players about using the environment and their wits, as that is literally all they have besides a few low level cleric spells (assuming they have a cleric).
As these were originally tournament modules there is a decent selection of different monsters scattered throughout, though it does make an attempt to explain how the various monsters in each area interact with each other.

PS. Don't miss the fully bearded female Dwarf on the cover of A1

[ken-do-nim]

A1-3 aren't bad. Some dungeoning in ruins and caverns, sneaking into a fort, weird genetic experiments gone awry, exploring a town incognito. A4 is a bit gimmicky, and needs some railroading (an unavoidable sleep gas trap), the characters need to get captured and stripped of all their possessions. It ends with an earthquake and volcanic eruption and escaping from a town in chaos while fighting the slave lords. The scenario is good for teaching players about using the environment and their wits, as that is literally all they have besides a few low level cleric spells (assuming they have a cleric).
As these were originally tournament modules there is a decent selection of different monsters scattered throughout, though it does make an attempt to explain how the various monsters in each area interact with each other.

PS. Don't miss the fully bearded female Dwarf on the cover of A1

I've never read A1-4 Scourge of the Slavelords. I recommend running A1-A3 as an epic campaign, and leave A4 for a one-shot, or if things go south for the party in the big fight at the end of A3.

[Rhynn]

All right, thanks - I had no idea about the railroad start of A4. I think that'll work out fine - I can use A4 as a base for the "big finish" of the campaign (in Luskan or Ruathym or one of the other islands), but change up the actual context (maybe the PCs take the initiative to assault the Slave Lords, or lead the Lords' Alliance against them, etc.). I'm good with changing and adapting heavily - I'm going to add a whole domain-level warfare element to GDQ, for instance.

[Lord Torath]

All right, thanks - I had no idea about the railroad start of A4. I think that'll work out fine - I can use A4 as a base for the "big finish" of the campaign (in Luskan or Ruathym or one of the other islands), but change up the actual context (maybe the PCs take the initiative to assault the Slave Lords, or lead the Lords' Alliance against them, etc.). I'm good with changing and adapting heavily - I'm going to add a whole domain-level warfare element to GDQ, for instance.

The railroady start is kind of specific to the module:
At the end of A3, the group is entirely knocked out by knock-out gas (this assumes the group is all bunched up so they fit into the trapped room). At the beginning of A4, they wake up naked in the dungeons, and the entire module is about escaping the dungeons and the island before the volcano blows.I'd recommend reading through the module before making too many plans.

[Rhynn]

I'd recommend reading through the module before making too many plans.

Naturally. I'm up to G3, and once I've read it, taken my notes, and so on, I'll probably switch to A1-4. It's going to be pretty easy to connect them anyway, I think - they're separate plots hatched by the same nefarious party, but with no direct connection (and the PCs probably won't have any clue who's behind it until G3).

Any clues on how much XP, approximately, the A series nets? I figure it's probably mostly treasure XP, this being an AD&D 1E module, so that won't change very much. G1 doesn't look like it's actually going to put a 9th-level party of intended size up even half a level, and I'm probably looking at 3 PCs (full shares) and maybe 9-12 henchmen (half-shares) by mid- and high levels, so that's as much as a 9-way split on XP. I'm mostly just curious how much other adventuring will fit in.


PS. Don't miss the fully bearded female Dwarf on the cover of A1

This is old-school D&D - all our dwarf women have beards. :smallcool:

[Lord Torath]

I suppose I should probably respond to the original topic:

I think my favorite module is X1 The Isle of Dread. There's so much to explore and do, even before crossing The Wall into the island proper. But the first printing makes the most sense (Alligators in a salt-water bay? Really?) There's also the silliness of sharks in a lake in the cone of a volcano (How would they get there?), but overall, it's a pretty great module.

X2 is fun, but suffers a lot from the Everything and the Kitchen Sink dungeon design. Monsters that have no business living next to each other, a disturbing lack of servants quarters, and a house no one would want to live in. But it's still a lot of fun. Plus the magic dinner is just awesome (if completely random - there's no way for the PCs to determine what each course will do to them before it does it).

[Rhynn]

So I've started going through A1, and I freaking love it already. It's got awesome little "puzzle dungeon" elements, where details exist for reasons (the fixed-up wall, the stench of rot, etc.). I also really like the wandering monster roster; it's very handy. G1 had a similar thing, where it was strongly suggested that wandering monsters are removed from the room they originated in if they're taken out (G2-3 don't have this element), but this is taken further. I'm probably going to utilize it a lot in dungeon design.

These classic modules are a great course in dungeon design.

I think the A series is going to fit great on the northern Sword Coast. I'll have to figure out if Luskan is Highport, or if it'll be used for A2, but the Isle of the Slave Lords is going to be out on the Sea of Swords, etc. I'm very much recalling Gateway to the Savage Frontier and Treasures of the Savage Frontier, my two favorite gold-box RPGs (which were a completely awesome experience played together).

It would also fit great into my Dark Sun setting, for that matter, although there'd be more changes; I could use the Silt Sea, but desert raider slavers seems like they'd be more fun, really. The Isle would have to be changed up into some other location - the Smoking Crown Mountains (a ring of volcanic mountains north-northwest of Urik), probably.

Edit: A1 does suffer from the whole boxed text syndrome, though. Boxed text can be done right (although IMO is only really useful for "newbie DM modules"), but it's completely unnecessary to give me information in the box that I can get by looking at the map (where the doors are, etc.). At least A1 doesn't do the "this is a 10 x 10 room" thing...

[ken-do-nim]

So I've started going through A1, and I freaking love it already. It's got awesome little "puzzle dungeon" elements, where details exist for reasons (the fixed-up wall, the stench of rot, etc.). I also really like the wandering monster roster; it's very handy. G1 had a similar thing, where it was strongly suggested that wandering monsters are removed from the room they originated in if they're taken out (G2-3 don't have this element), but this is taken further. I'm probably going to utilize it a lot in dungeon design.

These classic modules are a great course in dungeon design.

I think the A series is going to fit great on the northern Sword Coast. I'll have to figure out if Luskan is Highport, or if it'll be used for A2, but the Isle of the Slave Lords is going to be out on the Sea of Swords, etc. I'm very much recalling Gateway to the Savage Frontier and Treasures of the Savage Frontier, my two favorite gold-box RPGs (which were a completely awesome experience played together).

It would also fit great into my Dark Sun setting, for that matter, although there'd be more changes; I could use the Silt Sea, but desert raider slavers seems like they'd be more fun, really. The Isle would have to be changed up into some other location - the Smoking Crown Mountains (a ring of volcanic mountains north-northwest of Urik), probably.

Edit: A1 does suffer from the whole boxed text syndrome, though. Boxed text can be done right (although IMO is only really useful for "newbie DM modules"), but it's completely unnecessary to give me information in the box that I can get by looking at the map (where the doors are, etc.). At least A1 doesn't do the "this is a 10 x 10 room" thing...

I'm a big fan of A1 too. I ran through the 2nd half in a tournament and it works really well in that capacity. Funny you think how fighting orcs with level 6 characters should be a breeze, but because of the terrain effects it is not.

[Rhynn]

I'm a big fan of A1 too. I ran through the 2nd half in a tournament and it works really well in that capacity. Funny you think how fighting orcs with level 6 characters should be a breeze, but because of the terrain effects it is not.

All those lower-HD humanoids (gnolls, bugbears, troglodytes, orcs) in G1-3 and A1-4 will probably work really well in ACKS, where a 9th-level fighter averages 40.5 hit points (you'd have to be lucky to have a CON bonus)... granted, they're going to have a low hit rate, but they tend to make up with sheer numbers. Plus the dungeons react to PC incursions, so any expenditure of HP and spells increases their risks, because they want to penetrate as deep and accomplish as much as possible on each expedition.

Of course, cleaving will help (in ACKS, every time you drop an opponent to 0 hp with an attack, you get another attack, up to your level times per round if a fighter, ½ that if a cleric or thief, etc.), but that requires good tactics with positioning, etc.

[Mordar]

What are your favorite AD&D 1E and Basic D&D (BECM) modules, and why?

Rhynn has the best questions. Plus, likes RoleMaster. Superbonus!


GDQ still seems to me to be the only classic series that is any good. Almost all modules are just random dungrons with no good reasons why the PCs are there and nothing to do but clear each room and get treasure and XP. I don't even know why I like GDQ, but there seems to be a sense of purpose and exploration that is usually absent. There isn't much of a story and it doesn't actually go anywhere, but it's at least something.

I kind of disagree...maybe it is the "series" qualifier that gets me over, though. The beauty of the modules were that you didn't need reasons...oftentimes they were ports of convention games and came with pre-generated characters, well-suited for a time and place were episodic series were exceptional and campaigns were the stuff of legend, not real life. An engaging "dungeon" with some neat window dressing was the fodder for a great Saturday. Think of it like a matinee, or maybe a novel that existed before the "all novels must be part of an epic bijillion page series". Regardless, the Slave Lords was also an excellent classic series, and the eventual Temple of Elemental Evil could be considered a series, IMO.


The original Castle Ravenloft was by far my favorite (I ran the updated 3.5 version for my players and they loved it). It was huge with a lot of great places to explore and get killed by. :3

Absolutely groundbreaking. Replayable, innovative, 3D simulation maps...fantastic.

I also really liked Pharaoh for many of the same reasons - a novel (as in new, not as in booklike) setting, some very neat dungeon elements, and a part of the "new wave" of modules.


A1-3 aren't bad. Some dungeoning in ruins and caverns, sneaking into a fort, weird genetic experiments gone awry, exploring a town incognito. A4 is a bit gimmicky, and needs some railroading (an unavoidable sleep gas trap), the characters need to get captured and stripped of all their possessions. It ends with an earthquake and volcanic eruption and escaping from a town in chaos while fighting the slave lords. The scenario is good for teaching players about using the environment and their wits, as that is literally all they have besides a few low level cleric spells (assuming they have a cleric).
As these were originally tournament modules there is a decent selection of different monsters scattered throughout, though it does make an attempt to explain how the various monsters in each area interact with each other.

PS. Don't miss the fully bearded female Dwarf on the cover of A1

I agree that the conclusion was more than a little irksome, but in retrospect (and as an "older if not wiser" player) I can understand the interest in reverting to a "what the players can come up with" finale rather than a "loot the characters earned along the way" solution.

Some others that I thought wondrous:


Expedition to the Barrier Peaks - Loved playing Gamma World, so this was a great merging of the two;
White Plume Mountain - No idea why, but this one brings back sooo many good memories;
Giants/Drow - As previously mentioned, this may have set the standard;
Sinister Secret of the Saltmarsh - No idea why, I just really remember liking it;


Oodles of others have the warm glow of nostalgia around them...Keep on the Borderlands, of course, Ghost Tower, Isle of Dread and a few others...

- M