What are the best D&D adventures of all time? I take a look at four decades of Dungeons & Dragons adventures and present to you the 15 Best D&D Modules Of All Time, from Night Below to The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh to Ravenloft.
Based on a survey I took in 2013. Over 120 adventures were nominated, and over 500 votes cast to determine the Top 15 Best D&D Modules Of All Time. From BECMI, AD&D 1E, AD&D 2E, D&D 3E/3.5, and D&D 4E (in other words, offficial D&D adventures only, not Pathfinder or third-party adventures).
About Top Lists: This is an experimental new forum, and a bit of fun. The idea is to post your Top 10 (or 20 or 1,000 or whatever) things in a given theme. Top 10 Sci-fi Games of 2014, for example, or Top AD&D 1st Edition Modules. See the sticky thread inside for more info, and please do feel free to post your own Top List! This one should serve as a good example!
[h=4]#15: Night Below[/h]
By Carl Sargent. A 3-book boxed set for AD&D 2nd Edition, a campaign set in the underdark. It was described as "bursting and the seams with nasty, slimy, ugly things" by Cliff Ramshaw.
[h=4]#14: Desert of Desolation[/h]
By Tracy & Laura Kicman. The definitive Egyptian-themed D&D adventure.
[h=4]#13: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth[/h]
By Gary Gygax. "A monster filled labyrinth in the classic mode" said Lawrence Schick.
[h=4]#12: The Lost City[/h]
By Tom Moldvay. A module designed by Moldvay to give new DMs experience fleshing out adventures and the inspiration for a 3rd-edition D&D adventure, Masque of Dreams.
[h=4]#11: The Whispering Cairn[/h]
By Erik Mona. From DUNGEON magazine, the first adventure in the Age of Worms adventure path. An adventure by Erik Mona for D&D 3rd Edition.
[h=4]#10: The Isle of Dread[/h]
By David Cook and Tom Moldvay. The first module to focus on wilderness exploration and the first appearance of a D&D world continent. The Isle was later retconned in 4th Edition to be part of the Feywild. Steve Winter described it as "one of the most widely known and played advantures for years".
[h=4]#9: The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh[/h]
By Dave J. Browne and Don Turnbull. The first D&D adventure from the UK. Published in 1981 for AD&D 1st Edition. The abandoned, dilapidated mansion of an evil alchemist. The introduction to an underwater campaign. Ken Denmead of Wired called it "the Scooby Doo episode of D&D modules".
[h=4]#8: Queen of the Spiders[/h]
By Gary Gygax. A compilation of 7 modules spanning Greyhawk, the Underdark, and concluding in the Demonweb Pits, the abyssal lair of the demonic goddess Lolth.
[h=4]#7: Against the Giants[/h]
By Gary Gygax. The "G" series of modules by Gary Gygax combined into one compilation module. Stephen Colbert commented on this one - "those old Giants modules, those were tremendous", while Wired's Ken Denmead said that [the third is] "the end-all, be-all of hack-fests".
[h=4]#6: Castle Amber[/h]
By Tom Moldvay. A haunted mansion, the all-new brain collector, and demented members of the d'Amberville family. "A decidedly Edgar Allen Poe feel" said Game Examiner's Daniel Nations. Jim Bambra of White Dwarf described it as "an attempt to bring randomness back into D&D."
[h=4]#5: Red Hand of Doom[/h]
By James Jacobs and Richard Baker. The second 3rd Edition adventure on this list. A hobgoblin hoard devoted to Tiamat. Released in 2006, WotC's first D&D adventure for four years since 2002. A massive 128-page adventure and the first D&D adventure to include Designer Notes.
[h=4]#4: Tomb of Horrors[/h]
By Gary Gygax. Written to test mighty player characters in the tomb of the demilich Acererak. One of the toughest modules of all time! "Sprinkled... with subtle, insidious, and carefully laid traps" says Don Turnball. SF Site called it " a classic and a mus-have for gamers".
[h=4]#3: The Keep on the Borderlands[/h]
By Gary Gygax. Explore the Caves of Chaos in this beginner module for the D&D Basic Set. A revised version formed a D&D Next playtest module called The Caves of Chaos. At the time, more copies of this module were printed than of any other scenario.
[h=4]#2: The Temple of Elemental Evil[/h]
By Gary Gygax and Frank Mentzer. An expansion of The Village of Hommlet and a 128-page classic which inspired a novel, a computer game, and a return 25-years later. "Of huge, classic dungeon crawls, this is probably the best" said Lawrence Schick. Even Dungeon Master for Dummies called it "the grandfather of all huge dungeon crawls".
[h=4]#1: Ravenloft[/h]
By Tracy & Laura Hickman. Is this the best D&D adventure of all time? Pubished for AD&D 1st Edition in 1983, playtested for five years by Tracy and Laura Hickman and the inpsiration for an entire campaign setting! A frightening portrait of a vampire. Necromancer Games' Clark Peterson described Strahd as "one of the best villains of all time" and Bill Slavicsek praises it as "the first adventure to mix tone, story, and dungeon crawl". Dungeon Master for Dummies said it "takes the art of adventure to the next level" and author Tracy Hickman certain feels it's "perhaps the best [module] that ever had my name on it".
Based on a survey I took in 2013. Over 120 adventures were nominated, and over 500 votes cast to determine the Top 15 Best D&D Modules Of All Time. From BECMI, AD&D 1E, AD&D 2E, D&D 3E/3.5, and D&D 4E (in other words, offficial D&D adventures only, not Pathfinder or third-party adventures).
About Top Lists: This is an experimental new forum, and a bit of fun. The idea is to post your Top 10 (or 20 or 1,000 or whatever) things in a given theme. Top 10 Sci-fi Games of 2014, for example, or Top AD&D 1st Edition Modules. See the sticky thread inside for more info, and please do feel free to post your own Top List! This one should serve as a good example!
[h=4]#15: Night Below[/h]
By Carl Sargent. A 3-book boxed set for AD&D 2nd Edition, a campaign set in the underdark. It was described as "bursting and the seams with nasty, slimy, ugly things" by Cliff Ramshaw.
[h=4]#14: Desert of Desolation[/h]
By Tracy & Laura Kicman. The definitive Egyptian-themed D&D adventure.
[h=4]#13: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth[/h]
By Gary Gygax. "A monster filled labyrinth in the classic mode" said Lawrence Schick.
[h=4]#12: The Lost City[/h]
By Tom Moldvay. A module designed by Moldvay to give new DMs experience fleshing out adventures and the inspiration for a 3rd-edition D&D adventure, Masque of Dreams.
[h=4]#11: The Whispering Cairn[/h]
By Erik Mona. From DUNGEON magazine, the first adventure in the Age of Worms adventure path. An adventure by Erik Mona for D&D 3rd Edition.
[h=4]#10: The Isle of Dread[/h]
By David Cook and Tom Moldvay. The first module to focus on wilderness exploration and the first appearance of a D&D world continent. The Isle was later retconned in 4th Edition to be part of the Feywild. Steve Winter described it as "one of the most widely known and played advantures for years".
[h=4]#9: The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh[/h]
By Dave J. Browne and Don Turnbull. The first D&D adventure from the UK. Published in 1981 for AD&D 1st Edition. The abandoned, dilapidated mansion of an evil alchemist. The introduction to an underwater campaign. Ken Denmead of Wired called it "the Scooby Doo episode of D&D modules".
[h=4]#8: Queen of the Spiders[/h]
By Gary Gygax. A compilation of 7 modules spanning Greyhawk, the Underdark, and concluding in the Demonweb Pits, the abyssal lair of the demonic goddess Lolth.
[h=4]#7: Against the Giants[/h]
By Gary Gygax. The "G" series of modules by Gary Gygax combined into one compilation module. Stephen Colbert commented on this one - "those old Giants modules, those were tremendous", while Wired's Ken Denmead said that [the third is] "the end-all, be-all of hack-fests".
[h=4]#6: Castle Amber[/h]
By Tom Moldvay. A haunted mansion, the all-new brain collector, and demented members of the d'Amberville family. "A decidedly Edgar Allen Poe feel" said Game Examiner's Daniel Nations. Jim Bambra of White Dwarf described it as "an attempt to bring randomness back into D&D."
[h=4]#5: Red Hand of Doom[/h]
By James Jacobs and Richard Baker. The second 3rd Edition adventure on this list. A hobgoblin hoard devoted to Tiamat. Released in 2006, WotC's first D&D adventure for four years since 2002. A massive 128-page adventure and the first D&D adventure to include Designer Notes.
[h=4]#4: Tomb of Horrors[/h]
By Gary Gygax. Written to test mighty player characters in the tomb of the demilich Acererak. One of the toughest modules of all time! "Sprinkled... with subtle, insidious, and carefully laid traps" says Don Turnball. SF Site called it " a classic and a mus-have for gamers".
[h=4]#3: The Keep on the Borderlands[/h]
By Gary Gygax. Explore the Caves of Chaos in this beginner module for the D&D Basic Set. A revised version formed a D&D Next playtest module called The Caves of Chaos. At the time, more copies of this module were printed than of any other scenario.
[h=4]#2: The Temple of Elemental Evil[/h]
By Gary Gygax and Frank Mentzer. An expansion of The Village of Hommlet and a 128-page classic which inspired a novel, a computer game, and a return 25-years later. "Of huge, classic dungeon crawls, this is probably the best" said Lawrence Schick. Even Dungeon Master for Dummies called it "the grandfather of all huge dungeon crawls".
[h=4]#1: Ravenloft[/h]
By Tracy & Laura Hickman. Is this the best D&D adventure of all time? Pubished for AD&D 1st Edition in 1983, playtested for five years by Tracy and Laura Hickman and the inpsiration for an entire campaign setting! A frightening portrait of a vampire. Necromancer Games' Clark Peterson described Strahd as "one of the best villains of all time" and Bill Slavicsek praises it as "the first adventure to mix tone, story, and dungeon crawl". Dungeon Master for Dummies said it "takes the art of adventure to the next level" and author Tracy Hickman certain feels it's "perhaps the best [module] that ever had my name on it".
