D&D 5E Best of the 5e Forum

robus · May 3, 2017

This is a WIKI thread. Anybody can edit it. Rather than having a dozen sticky threads, links should instead be added to this first post.

Getting Started

D&D Adventurer's League

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Wiki Thread

Adventure Guides
General

Adventure Levels and page count

Lost Mine of Phandelver

Levels 1-5; 88% on EN World.
You have been hired to help a family of Dwarves reclaim a long-lost mine; but adventures and intrigues swirl around the village of Phandalin as factions manoeuvre for control of the magical mine. A sandbox introduction adventure, this features D&D staples such as Goblin caves, ruined castles, and wilderness exploration. It ties into the other modules very well, so can be played as a prelude to another adventure.

Problems with Lost Mine of Phandelver (Errata & Suggestions)

Tyranny of Dragons

Levels 1-15; 53% & 75% on EN World.
This pair of adventures does the ‘Dragon storyline’, as the characters will be pitted against the Cult of the Dragon, the Red Wizards of Thay, and the Evil Dragons in a fight for the future of the world. Tiamat, the goddess of Evil Dragons, seeks to enter the Forgotten Realms herself, in order to bring about the end of humanoid civilisation and begin the hegemony of Dragons. It is a much more tightly plotted adventure than the others, with few sandbox elements, but has a more conspiculously epic tone, with a healthy dose of politics, as a result. The characters raid wizard’s towers, assault Dragons in their lairs, and seek to enlist the help of potentially dangerous allies. This adventure is not set in Dragonlance, but there are similarities.

Princes of the Apocalypse

Levels 1-15; 86% on EN World.
This is the dungeon crawl focused adventure, inspired by Temple of Elemental Evil. The quiet Dessarin Valley is home to troubling rumours of strange, dangerous events; the elements themselves seem to have become hostile. The characters are tasked with getting to the bottom of what is going on, and finding a lost delegation who disappeared in the hills. This adventure focuses on the characters fighting their way through numerous dungeons with an elemental theme, and has a sandbox ethos that gives the characters a lot of freedom to decide their own course throughout.

Out of the Abyss

Levels 1-15; 81% on EN World.
Miles beneath the surface of the world lies the Underdark, home to evil races and monsters alike. Taken captive by the Drow, your characters must escape their captivity and try to find a way home, even as the dark and dangerous Underdark writhes with a strange plague of madness, and the unexplained presence of Demons from the Abyss. As the characters travel, they will encounter a city of the spiteful Duergar, evil Dwarves twisted by suffering and hate; a colony of the peaceful Myconids, mushroom people; and the Labyrinth, home to wonders and horrors alike. This adventure is themed around madness, with Alice in Wonderland being a inspiration for parts of it. There is also a focus on personalities, as the characters will meet a wide variety of fantastical beings and deranged individuals on their journey to freedom.

Curse of Strahd

Levels 1-10; 90% on EN World.
Welcome to the shadowed land of Barovia, lying uneasily under the sway of Strahd von Zarovich these last centuries. The most famous Vampire in D&D history, thanks to the classic module Ravenloft, the master of Castle Ravenloft is having guests for dinner – and you are invited. Taking its cues from Gothic Horror, this adventure takes the characters through haunted houses, misty forests, and asylums for the broken; throughout, the characters will learn that appearances can be deceiving, and not all those who look beautiful have good intentions. Featuring a sandbox environment, this adventure relies on compelling locations and personalities, rather than a tightly-plotted storyline, to drive the characters onwards.

Enhancing "Curse of Strahd"

Storm King's Thunder

Levels 1-11; 68% on EN World.
Ever since the destruction of their ancient kingdom in a war against the Dragons, the Giants of the world have lived in relative peace and seclusion. Now all that has changed however, as the north is riven by marauding bands of Giants that trample upon the settlements of the small folk: Hill Giants steal food, livestock, and even farmers themselves; Frost Giant greatships launch furious attacks on ships and harbours; Fire Giants prowl the landscape, searching for something unknown. Where is King Hekaton, ruler of the Storm Giants and lord of all Giants, he who kept the peace? This adventure takes the Giants theme of the classic Against the Giants module series, combines it with modern adventure sensibilities and elements of King Lear, and provides an intensely sandbox experience that has little in the way of strict plot to push the story to its conclusion.

Enhancing "Storm King's Thunder"

Tales From the Yawning Portal

Levels 1-14?; 69% on ENWorld
A collection of dungeons from previous editions of the game, this is a Greatest Hits album of fun and famous experiences. There is not even the vestige of a storyline to link the dungeons together, but it would not be that hard to put a simple narrative in place. The dungeons are all quite different - from the gonzo funhouse of White Plume Mountain, to the simple back-to-basics of Sunless Citadel, to the megadungeon exploration of Dead in Thay. This book is good if you want entertaining dungeon crawling and not much else, and is perhaps best thought of as a set of pre-made dungeons to slot into your campaign as you see fit.

Tomb of Annihilation

Levels 1-11; 87.5% on ENWorld
Travel to the unexplored and dangerous jungles of Chult in this adventure that feels both innovative and traditional at the same time, and seems designed for its constituent parts to be borrowed for any jungle campaign. The book presents a story in two parts; in the first, the party explores the jungles and marshes of Chult, with dozens of interesting locations presented in a hexcrawl fashion. The second half consists of two large dungeons, one themed around Yuan-ti and the other around undead and traps, with the latter being a massive mega-dungeon in multiple small levels. This adventure is good if you want exploration, a vibrant and unique African/Meso-American flavour, and dungeons that don’t hold their punches.

Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

Levels 1-5; 57% on ENWorld
It's a race to find a hidden hoard of gold dragon coins somewhere in the city of Waterdeep. The adventurers must battle against some of the most formidable villains around while also keeping out of the clutches of the ubiquitous City Watch. An urban adventure filled with characters and distinct locations, it'll keep a DM on their toes!

Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

Levels 5-20; 75% on Enworld
This adventure picks up where Waterdeep: Dragon Heist leaves off, taking characters of 5th level or higher all the way to 20th level should they explore the entirety of Halaster’s home. Twenty-three levels of Undermountain are detailed herein, along with the subterranean refuge of Skullport. Treasures and secrets abound, but tread with care!

Enhancing "Dungeon of the Mad Mage"

Ghosts of Saltmarsh

Levels 1-12; 66.5% on Enworld
Combines some of the most popular classic adventures from the first edition of Dungeons & Dragons including the classic ‘U’ series and some of the best nautical adventures from Dungeon magazine. Play through each story in a seafaring campaign, or pull out sections to place in ongoing campaigns in any setting. The appendices also cover mechanics for ship-to-ship combat, new magic items, monsters, and more!

Enhancing "Ghosts of Saltmarsh"

Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

Levels 1-13; Reviews
Welcome to Baldur's Gate, a city of ambition and corruption. You’ve just started your adventuring career, but already find yourself embroiled in a plot that sprawls from the shadows of Baldur's Gate to the front lines of the planes-spanning Blood War! Do you have what it takes to turn infernal war machines and nefarious contracts against the archdevil Zariel and her diabolical hordes? And can you ever hope to find your way home safely when pitted against the infinite evils of the Nine Hells?

Enhancing "Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus"

Adventure summaries courtesy of @Charles Rampant, Wizards of the Coast, and @robus

Other Books

Dungeon Mastering
Basic skills

Running a game

Prepping a game

Lists & References

5th Edition OGL

Maps & Artwork

Miscellaneous

Design Goals of 5e

Lanliss · May 3, 2017

This is some good stuff. Cannot think of any immediate additions, as you hit on most of the threads I have checked out for tips. I did have a thread going for random encounters. It has been dead for a short while, but there were some good ones in there.

LordEntrails · May 3, 2017

I'm not sold as any of these as being the best for their topic, but they are the ones I'm aware of and are at least positive/useful threads.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...-Investigation-checks-and-player-descriptions

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?509286-Boxed-Text

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?511051-So-Skill-Challenges

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?533081-Any-tips-tricks-for-a-new-D-amp-amp-D-DM

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?534547-How-Do-You-Find-Players

robus · May 3, 2017

LordEntrails said:
I'm not sold as any of these as being the best for their topic, but they are the ones I'm aware of and are at least positive/useful threads.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...-Investigation-checks-and-player-descriptions

That link seems dead - perhaps lost in the great crash of 2016?

LordEntrails · May 3, 2017

[MENTION=6801558]robus[/MENTION] I just followed it no problem...
It was started by ad_hoc on October 4th, 2016. So I don't think it was lost...

Can you try again? Maybe it times out?

Here's a link to post #2 in the thread in case you have ad_hoc blocked; http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...descriptions&p=6908048&viewfull=1#post6908048

aco175 · May 3, 2017

Thank you for putting this together- in case nobody else says it, but I thing most are thinking it.

Demetrios1453 · May 3, 2017

Thanks for putting my Homebrew Giant Elites thread on there! Now that I have a few days off ahead, I really should go in there and finish up the remaining 3 - 4 elites I still want to do...

robus · May 4, 2017

LordEntrails said:
[MENTION=6801558]robus[/MENTION] I just followed it no problem...
It was started by ad_hoc on October 4th, 2016. So I don't think it was lost...

Can you try again? Maybe it times out?

Here's a link to post #2 in the thread in case you have ad_hoc blocked; http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...descriptions&p=6908048&viewfull=1#post6908048

I keep getting this:

Invalid Thread specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...=6908048&viewfull=1#post6908048#ixzz4g3nXcLBU