Zardnaar
Legend
In no particular order the following adventures I would recommend that DMs could read to make themselves a better DM. This list is not exhaustive or in any order.
1. Isle of Dread (BECMI)
This adventure is a Hexcrawl and offers a good template to duplicate it.
2. Tallows Deep (2E Dungeon 18)
This adventure is not the best adventure ever made. However it's an example of Tucker's Kobolds where lowly Goblins are the main foes for for level 5/6 PCs. Terrain, tactics and traps can ramp up humble Kobolds and goblins.
3. The Night Below (2E)
Mostly for the 1st part but part 2 and 3 are also decent for megadungeons and non Drow underdark adventure. Part one is a good example of how to set up a home area. Part 1 is similar in a way to.....
4. Lost Mines if Phandelver(5E)
Similar in a way to part 1 of the Night Below. Most people agree this is a good adventure.
5. Labyrinth if Madness (2E)
A high level dungeon for level 15+. This adventure while not as notorious as Tomb of Horrors it is a bit if a stinker. Main use us as an example if a magical dungeon that counteracts high level PCs. Newer DMs I have noticed struggle around level 8 or 9. This adventure takes care of higher level PCs and expect some deaths (raise dead type effects level 15+ it's not that bad).
6. The Stolen Lands (Pathfinder)
Another Hexcrawl and perhaps the best example of a modern evolution. This adventure is a prime example of how to tie in side adventures, plot, and reward PCs for non combat things in the exploration pillar while trying previous locations to the climax giving the PCs several options to deal with the BBEG.
7. B5 Horror on the Hill
One of the better adventures of the B series. This adventure has an interesting above ground smaller scale area to explore and a medium sized dungeon underneath. Also had a Dragon and how difficult the adventure is depends on the the amount if effort the PCs put in with the social and exploration pillars.
8. There is No Honor (3.5 Dungeon 139)
Part one of the Savage Tide AP. Part one is so good it kind of makes you not want to do the rest of the AP. This is because if the setting specifically the city if Sasserine. If you wanted to find an example of a single location campaign where the PCs base themselves out of a city well here it is.
9. B2. Keep on the Borderlands (BECMI)
Not the best adventure of all times by any means but it's an interesting example of how to design a basic dungeon hack. If you've been playing for a while it's easy to forgett the basics sometimes. Before you need to worry about advanced concepts it pays to nail down the basics.
10. I6 Ravenloft. (1E AD&D)
Early D&D adventures were often dungeon hacks and this is an evolution of those. Recreated with Curse of Strahd this adventure fell between ye olde D&D and the terrible Dragonlance/2E metaplot type adventures. This adventure is argueably the template of more modern adventure designs from late 2E to the modern era.
1. Isle of Dread (BECMI)
This adventure is a Hexcrawl and offers a good template to duplicate it.
2. Tallows Deep (2E Dungeon 18)
This adventure is not the best adventure ever made. However it's an example of Tucker's Kobolds where lowly Goblins are the main foes for for level 5/6 PCs. Terrain, tactics and traps can ramp up humble Kobolds and goblins.
3. The Night Below (2E)
Mostly for the 1st part but part 2 and 3 are also decent for megadungeons and non Drow underdark adventure. Part one is a good example of how to set up a home area. Part 1 is similar in a way to.....
4. Lost Mines if Phandelver(5E)
Similar in a way to part 1 of the Night Below. Most people agree this is a good adventure.
5. Labyrinth if Madness (2E)
A high level dungeon for level 15+. This adventure while not as notorious as Tomb of Horrors it is a bit if a stinker. Main use us as an example if a magical dungeon that counteracts high level PCs. Newer DMs I have noticed struggle around level 8 or 9. This adventure takes care of higher level PCs and expect some deaths (raise dead type effects level 15+ it's not that bad).
6. The Stolen Lands (Pathfinder)
Another Hexcrawl and perhaps the best example of a modern evolution. This adventure is a prime example of how to tie in side adventures, plot, and reward PCs for non combat things in the exploration pillar while trying previous locations to the climax giving the PCs several options to deal with the BBEG.
7. B5 Horror on the Hill
One of the better adventures of the B series. This adventure has an interesting above ground smaller scale area to explore and a medium sized dungeon underneath. Also had a Dragon and how difficult the adventure is depends on the the amount if effort the PCs put in with the social and exploration pillars.
8. There is No Honor (3.5 Dungeon 139)
Part one of the Savage Tide AP. Part one is so good it kind of makes you not want to do the rest of the AP. This is because if the setting specifically the city if Sasserine. If you wanted to find an example of a single location campaign where the PCs base themselves out of a city well here it is.
9. B2. Keep on the Borderlands (BECMI)
Not the best adventure of all times by any means but it's an interesting example of how to design a basic dungeon hack. If you've been playing for a while it's easy to forgett the basics sometimes. Before you need to worry about advanced concepts it pays to nail down the basics.
10. I6 Ravenloft. (1E AD&D)
Early D&D adventures were often dungeon hacks and this is an evolution of those. Recreated with Curse of Strahd this adventure fell between ye olde D&D and the terrible Dragonlance/2E metaplot type adventures. This adventure is argueably the template of more modern adventure designs from late 2E to the modern era.