Picking adventure modules

[TheThan]

So I’ve never really bought or ran a premade adventure module. I’ve only ever created my own adventures, dungeons and the like.

I know people like adventure modules, Sunless citadel, Kingmaker, the temple of elemental evil, etc. I’m sure there are tons of reasons why and I’m not really making this thread to ask why.

Instead I want to know why you pick the modules you use.
Basically, I want to know what makes a good module… well… good?

[DonEsteban]

Well, what makes a good book a good book or a good song a good song? At least it's an easier question than "How do you write a good module." I guess you should read a bunch of reviews of modules and you'll get an idea.

Much depends on personal taste. As a GM, I must read the module and think "Wow, that's cool!". Several times. The story has to capture me. Where "story" is used in a very broad sense here, as a module should be a lot less linear than a book. There must be interesting encounters (i.e. locations, monsters, spells, NPCs or other elements). There should be surprises and a sense of mystery. And there must be a meaningful role for the characters. They should have the chance to achieve important successes against improbable odds and all that. And they should have a reason to care. (Though that last part is often a task for the GM as it's hard to achieve by the module alone.)

Then there are technical aspects. How good is the material presented, how usable are the stat blocks and maps, are there good handouts, is there good artwork? Is the material in the module sufficient to run it? I usually don't want to feel the need to change a lot of things, obviously, because the main point of using an existing module is not having to create your own.

I guess those are the most important points, but I may have forgotten an important one or two. And they are mainly from a GM's point of view.