What are the greatest published adventures you've run?

[Olaf the Stout]

Looking back on my DM'ing career, I've run a surprisingly small number of adventures (we just seem to take a long time to get through them I guess). Out of the ones I have run (all 3.xE era) I think that "Life's Bazaar", the opening adventure in the Shackled City AP is the best one.

It was a bit of a stereotypical dungeon crawl in many ways but there are a lot of fun things that happened in it that really set the scene for the rest of the campaign (which is still running - currently at 13th level and about 2/3rds of the way through it).

Olaf the Stout

 

[billd91]

How could I have forgotten Masks of Nyarlathotep in my earlier post!?!
I've experienced it as both player and Keeper and it was a total blast both times (even if the time I ran it ended as a virtual TPK thanks to insanity and dynamite).

To add another Call of Cthulhu gem, "The Haunted House" originally from Trail of Tsathoggua was a fantastic adventure. Low on combat, high on investigation and loss of sanity. I only played that one (and read it later) but it certainly made its impression.

 

[Bluenose]

I3-5 (the Desert of Desolation series), Isle of Dread and MAster of the Desert Nomads and it's sequel, were some of my favourite D&D ones. Outside D&D, naming one adventure for some of my favourite systems, Death on the Reik (WFRP), Masks of Nyralathotep (CoC), Mission to Mithril (CT), Borderlands (Runequest), Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues (Paranoia), Blood and Lust (Pendragon).

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

I think the best experience I ever had running a published module was with CM1 Test of the Warlords. I ran a campaign based on that about a year or so ago. That said, I radically changed the module: I ported it to a different system, cut encounters and sequences that didn't work for the feel of the game that I was running, added whole sections, etc. It was a great experience, and I think CM1 has a great premise and overall approach, but with some lame bits interspersed. So I recommend it more for kickstarting a campaign rather than for actually running by the book.

I've also run some fan-freaking-tastic RPGA (or similar style) modules with pre-gen characters. Unfortunately, listing those out is probably pointless, since they're basically unavailable now.

 

[Khairn]

For me, Dead Gods (Planescape/ Monte Cook) was the most fun to run and the most memorable. How can you top an ending like ... fighting for possession of the Wand of Orcus, while standing on his giant calcified corpse in the Astral Plane? Pure epic!

After that my most memorable include Ravenloft, Shadows over Bogenhoffen and Dead Space, although that is more a setting than a single module.

 

[Random Axe]

Were there any other modules from the "B" or "X" series that stood out for anyone? I also loved Castle Amber and looked forward to running it -- but never got the chance to.

Similarly, Keep on the Borderlands was my first game run as a DM, and it never grabbed me as a great module or story. Chalk that up to inexperience, but it didn't read well either.

 

[Lidgar]

Tough to pick just one, so top three:

Temple of Elemental Evil (with heavy modification to levels 3, 4 and nodes). Great crawl, lots of intrigue/betrayals, and epic battles.

Descent into the Depths of the EarthGiants and Underdark. And plus the players just found Kuo-Toa cuddly.

Expedition to Castle GreyhawkThis was lots of fun, especially when combined with the old Ruins of Greyhawk 2e module to flesh out all the levels. Another crawl of epic proportions!

 

[D'karr]

Were there any other modules from the "B" or "X" series that stood out for anyone? I also loved Castle Amber and looked forward to running it -- but never got the chance to.

Similarly, Keep on the Borderlands was my first game run as a DM, and it never grabbed me as a great module or story. Chalk that up to inexperience, but it didn't read well either.

I think that the real memorable part of Castle Amber is the trip to Averoigne. That right there made that entire module the coolest. The Ambervilles were crazy as bat crap, but the garden and the golem, and.... Just too much coolness. Moldvay really did a great thing with that one.

 

[TerraDave]

That I have actually run (there are still so many that I want to)...

Right now, running S1 Tomb of Horrors (RPGA/4E but also referencing the orignal). Great, great stuff.

Other then that, my favs in order

I6 Ravenloft (of course)
T1 Village of Hommlet
WG4 Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun
NeMoren's Vault (by Fiery Dragon)
S4 Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil
Sunless Citadel
Thunderspire Labirynth

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Just when I thought I was going to be the first to mention the Village of Hommlet! I've played in and run this several times, and its always great.

I'd second (or third or whatever) Saltmarsh, but I've never run it myself.

For non D&D I'd say... Arrrgh! Can't remember the name! A short Runequest module where the characters have to (if they take the job) housesit a merchant's place with some surprises and a night attack. (I want to say The Tin Inn, but I'm pretty sure that's not it.)
(Edit: Its Apple Lane. Thanks to Bluenose for remembering the name. Ran it a looong time ago and no longer have it.)