The Defining Adventure Modules for each Edition

Giltonio_Santos · Jan 24, 2012

I'll support the idea that 2E great adventures were spread around the various settings. My favorite would be Night of the Walking Dead, for Ravenloft, but other good ones come to mind. A Night Below fills the role of the generic adventure that everybody could play, and I really love A Paladin in Hell as well.

I still regard The Sunless Citadel as one of the greatest D&D adventures of all time. Return to the Sunless Citadel would be pretty high on my purchase schedule, if it ever happens.

Olaf the Stout · Jan 24, 2012

I'd nominate the Shackled City AP for 3.5E. Many people seem to think that Age of Worms is better, but Shackled City was the first, and blazed a trail for all adventure paths that followed behind it.

If Shackled City had stunk then the other adventure paths would not have been made.

And yes, I realise that the concept of a series of linked adventures existed before Shackled City. However, I think it took that idea in a direction that is different enough to be considered the first of its type.

Olaf the Stout

KidSnide · Jan 24, 2012

Shemeska said:
2e: I really think you have to pick not one or two defining modules, but a module for each of several 2e campaign settings.

For 2e Planescape I'd have to pick either Dead Gods or Faction War.

I think this is correct. The settings were the defining characteristics of 2e. I would submit the Freedom series from Dark Sun and Feast of Goblyns from Ravenloft. Feast of Goblyns is a terrific example of a story driven module.

-KS

ashockney · Jan 25, 2012

Defining Adventure Modules

What a great topic!

Here are my defining modules, which I saw fit to convert to multiple editions to run for my players and at conventions:
1st Tier:
B2 - Keep on the Borderlands
S2 - White Plume Mountain
I6 - Ravenloft
S4 - Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
G3 - Halls of the Fire Giant King

Heh. That'd make one hell of a campaign!

I can't say that any other adventures would make the list as "defining". There were lots and lots of good modules, and lots of modules I ran (or stole) from, but nothing beat the nostalgia, craziness, and awesomeness that was in these games. Certainly there were some defining "edition" games like Doom of Daggerdale, Sunless Citadel, Forge of Fury, Shackled City, and Keep on the Shadowfell.

Hussar · Jan 25, 2012

Would anyone consider some of the weirder modules to be defining?

I'm thinking of Beyond the Magic Mirror, and to a lesser degree Queen of the Demonweb Pits (and, yes, that's got some serious weird elements in it). One thing that defines AD&D for me is the Weird Tales vibe I always got from it.

olshanski · Jan 25, 2012

D&D (basic) --B2 Keep on the Borderlands

D&D (expert) -- X2 Castle Amber

D&D (undefined) -- Dark Tower, Caverns of Thracia

AD&D --S1-S4 (cheating here, but these adventures are all iconic).

2.0 -- Dragonlance was the hearald of 2nd edition. (also what got me to quit D&D for 15 years)

2.5 ed -- Planescape is where it's at, so Great Modron March+Dead Gods is the iconic adventure, Return to the Tomb of Horrors is a close non-planescape second.

3ed -- Crucible of Freya, Tomb of Abyssthor

3.5 -- Banewarrens, Lost City of Barakus, Shackled City

4ed --don't know, maybe Keep on the Shadowfell?

Pathfinder -- Kingmaker

Rogue Agent · Jan 25, 2012

Stormonu said:
It's strange that while 2E was well-known for its explosion of campaign worlds, it adventures are rather forgettable.

I think Dead Gods merits some consideration. Maybe Return to the Tomb of Horrors.

The other 2E modules that seem to still be remembered -- Night Below, Ruins of Undermountain, Dragon Mountain -- all seem to be strongly differentiated from most of the modules that were produced during 2E.

What about the Dragonlance (DL 1 - 15) and Ravenloft modules? Are they too niche to be considered "Universal"?

It's because they don't fit in well with the currently received wisdom of what 1E was "all about".

Draksila · Jan 25, 2012

1E - Ravenloft, the Desert of Desolation series

2E - Night Below, the Hyskosa Scroll series (Ravenloft starting with Night of the Walking Dead through Roots of Evil), Dead Gods, the Avatar series (Shadowdale, Tantras, Waterdeep), Curse of the Azure Bonds

3E/3.5E - Sunless Citadel, Red Hand of Doom, Rise of the Runelords

4E - Keep on the Shadowfell (not the best adventure, but defining in it's way)

Pathfinder - Kingmaker, Jade Regent (so far)

delericho · Jan 25, 2012

Hussar said:
Would anyone consider some of the weirder modules to be defining?

Not defining, but...

I do like the more out-there/experimental modules. Obviously, they're not going to be to everyone's taste... but then neither are adventure modules in general. A wider range of module types, including the weird ones, would certainly be good, though the place for it is probably eDungeon.

I'm thinking of Beyond the Magic Mirror, and to a lesser degree Queen of the Demonweb Pits (and, yes, that's got some serious weird elements in it). One thing that defines AD&D for me is the Weird Tales vibe I always got from it.

My progression was BD&D -> 2nd Ed -> 3e, with the Dragonlance novels being pretty foundational, so the vibe was always quest-based heroism for me. I'm now wondering if I missed out on a whole different slice of fantasy.

Bedrockgames · Jan 25, 2012

Giltonio_Santos said:
I'll support the idea that 2E great adventures were spread around the various settings. My favorite would be Night of the Walking Dead, for Ravenloft, but other good ones come to mind. A Night Below fills the role of the generic adventure that everybody could play, and I really love A Paladin in Hell as well.

I still regard The Sunless Citadel as one of the greatest D&D adventures of all time. Return to the Sunless Citadel would be pretty high on my purchase schedule, if it ever happens.

Night of the walking dead was great. My favorite was Feast of Goblyns. It had the right mix of setting info and adventure. The Kartakan Inn chapter alone made it a worthy module.

I think 2E modules were strong on setting and role play, but tended to get mired in heavy handed storytelling. So you had modules like The Created where the GM where NPCs had full script immunity and many of the scenes were overly stages and out of the player's hands. I still think 2E modules are my favorite, but you do have to navigate around some of the railroading in them.

The Defining Adventure Modules for each Edition

Giltonio_Santos

Hero

Olaf the Stout

Hero

KidSnide

Adventurer

ashockney

First Post

Hussar

Legend

olshanski

First Post

Rogue Agent

First Post

Draksila

First Post

delericho

Legend

Bedrockgames

Legend

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