D&D General Best "out of the box" ready to run adventures/modules?

[Parmandur]

My wife, in 2014, was able to take the Starter Set and, never having DMed at all and only ha IMG played some 4E, run Lsot Mines right out of the box with minimal prep work. So, that's a winner.

 

[Helldritch]

The lost mines are certainly the easiest. Almost no need to read.

 

[muppetmuppet]

The start of out of the abyss is actually ok to pick up and run. Just read the first place the group are in carefully and you are ready for several sessions. After that you would need to ask the group where they intended to go and then you can plan the next things. If you level the group in an I feel I need to level them now kind of way instead of strictly using exp you can progress just using the module to level 7 or so.

 

[Burnside]

Dragon of Icespire Peak is inferior to Lost Mine of Phandelver, but like LMoP it’s extremely easy to run out of the box.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I am an apologist and defender of Dragon of Icespire Peak. Unlike Lost Mine, I think it has a plot that while very simple makes complete sense. I still don't know why Gundren is looking for the Lost Mine and why no one else can find it. Anyway...! I definitely agree that Icespire Peak is easy to run. Probably even easier than Lost Mine.

 

[Burnside]

I am an apologist and defender of Dragon of Icespire Peak. Unlike Lost Mine, I think it has a plot that while very simple makes complete sense. I still don't know why Gundren is look for the Lost Mine and why no one else can find it. Anyway...! I definitely agree that Icespire Peak is easy to run. Probably even easier than Lost Mine.

I agree that the plot of LMoP has more holes than Icespire Peak. But the gameplay, scenarios, and quests in LMoP are more varied and fun at the table, and present a more complete picture of 5E as a game. Icespire Peak is very heavy on combat and lighter on the other two pillars (especially roleplaying) whereas LMoP does a better job of incorporating all of them. Icespire Peak's Job Board is really uninspired, and too many (not all, but too many) of the jobs amount to "go there and kill stuff."

Icespire Peak is good for a beer-and-pretzels group that wants minimal role-playing and short episodic missions that can mostly be completed in under 3 hours - or for a DM looking to cannibalize it for side-quests for levels 1-6. And there's nothing wrong with that. But LMoP, particularly when run using the pre-gen character hooks, has at least some storytelling depth that will evolve naturally from playing it. Icespire really has no depth or characterization at all unless the DM works to overlay it onto a very generic set of scenarios.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I agree that the plot of LMoP has more holes than Icespire Peak. But the gameplay, scenarios, and quests in LMoP are more varied and fun at the table, and present a more complete picture of 5E as a game. Icespire Peak is very heavy on combat and lighter on the other two pillars (especially roleplaying) whereas LMoP does a better job of incorporating all of them. Icespire Peak's Job Board is really uninspired, and too many (not all, but too many) of the jobs amount to "go there and kill stuff."

Icespire Peak is good for a beer-and-pretzels group that wants minimal role-playing and short episodic missions that can mostly be completed in under 3 hours - or for a DM looking to cannibalize it for side-quests for levels 1-6. And there's nothing wrong with that. But LMoP, particularly when run using the pre-gen character hooks, has at least some storytelling depth that will evolve naturally from playing it. Icespire really has no depth or characterization at all unless the DM works to overlay it onto a very generic set of scenarios.

That's a thoughtful response and a fair observation.

My approach as a DM typically is to take the spine of an adventure, rekey all the maps with my preferred monsters and villains, and create new story hooks and roleplaying opportunities. Icespire lends itself to that. So what others might see as a weakness is for me a strength of the adventure.

 

[Stormdale]

I think lost Mines is bit of a trap in that regard actually, the BBEG no one seems to have seen/ heard of through mmost of it? Reading the module and making him more prominant improves the game immensely

 

[Talltomwright]

I am wondering a similar thing at the moment (I’m running BGiA which is requiring a huge amount of work, although I’m enjoying it) and I’ve got another group of friends wanting to start up - how are the Tales from the Yawning Portal in terms of prep?

 

[Burnside]

I am wondering a similar thing at the moment (I’m running BGiA which is requiring a huge amount of work, although I’m enjoying it) and I’ve got another group of friends wanting to start up - how are the Tales from the Yawning Portal in terms of prep?

I’ve run Sunless Citadel previously and am currently running Forge of Fury. Both require minimal prep, but both - ESPECIALLY Forge of Fury - benefit from a DM raising the stakes by introducing some personal character hooks for the adventurers. Forge of Fury is a 5-level dungeon, but as written there is no reason except greed for characters to proceed after dealing with the threats on the top level.