[Dungeon] Top 30 Greatest Adventures Discussion (Spoilers)

[Glyfair]

Were available online at WotC's website. I still have them in electronic format. Never took the time to read/run them. Don't know if they're still available for free on their website.

None of the top 30 adventures are in the free Downloads section of the WotC website ( http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads ). There are a few mentioned here, though (Dungeonland, Land Beyond the Magic Mirror, The Secret of Bone Hill, Feast of Goblyns). Also, the Ravenloft sequel is there (House of Gryphon Hill).


Edit: Found Assassin's Knot, which isn't linked from the downloads page (that I can see). http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20001229b

 

[diaglo]

None of the top 30 adventures are in the free Downloads section of the WotC website ( http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads ). There are a few mentioned here, though (Dungeonland, Land Beyond the Magic Mirror, The Secret of Bone Hill, Feast of Goblyns). Also, the Ravenloft sequel is there (House of Gryphon Hill).


Edit: Found Assassin's Knot, which isn't linked from the downloads page (that I can see). http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20001229b

the tsr site also used to have for free download: H1 Bloodstone Pass.

they still have B3 Palace of the Silver Princess... but that is the Orange covered version.... actually it is better than the green covered one... but still not good enough to be on the list of the top 30

 

[uzagi_akimbo]

30 - The Ghost Tower of Inverness
29 - The Assassin's Knot
28 - The Lost City
27 - The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
26 - City of Skulls
25 - Dragons of Despair
24 - City of the Spider Queen
23 - The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun
22 - The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
21 - Dark Tower
20 - Scourge of the Slave Lords
19 - Against the Cult of the Reptile God
18 - The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan
17 - Ruins of the Undermountain
16 - The Isle of Dread
15 - Castle Amber
14 - Dead Gods
13 - Dwellers of the Forbidden City
12 - The Forge of Fury
11 - The Gates of Firestorm Peak
10 - Return to the Tomb of Horrors
9 - White Plume Mountain
8 - Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil
7 - The Keep on the Borderlands
6 - The Desert of Desolation
5 - Expedition to the Barrier Peaks
4 - The Temple of Elemental Evil
3 - Tomb of Horrors
2 - Ravenloft
1 - Queen of Spiders


... now that is an....interesting list.. baffling even. I have read most (except for city of skulls and Cult of the reptile God ), played in several and GMed at least a dozen of these.

Sorry I just can't see what made several of these "all-time" greats. Sure "Ravenloft", "DoDesolation", "Barrier Peaks" (which was zany and original, if not especially well thought out) and "Hidden Shrine" are there... but where are "Ravager of Time" "All that Glitters" "Through the Magic Mirror" or "Dungeonland" ? "Reverse Dungeon" anyone ?
Where are almost all 'Dark Sun' modules ? Some of the great Dragonlance adventures ( "Dragon's of Despair" on #26 is all - I mean it has a great final location, but what about DL 4 (Desolation) and DL6 (Ice)? Or DL 9 (War)?) ? Where is the "Against the Giants" series (unless it now is part of "Queen of Spiders" for some reason ?) ? No Planescape besides "Dead Gods" ? Not even a mention of UK2 +3 ("Sentinel" and "Gauntlet") ?
Why does something as feeble as "Forge of Fury" from 3E make the list, while "Sunless Citadel" and "Standing Stones" do not ? And why don't the X series of D&D adventures not qualify - especially X4 and X5 ?

And aside from the token Judges Guild adventure - anyone noted that no none-TSR/WotC adventures actually made the list ? I cannot help myself, but both as a GM and player and the fellow souls IMCs seemed to enjoy several adventures by Necromancer Games far more (like the massively entertaining and fun "Grey Citadel"...just as an example... Or the "Freeport" series... or...or or.... ) than "Forge of Fury" - and that is only rather recent years...

Call me odd, but this feels far too much "off" what I have seen and experienced as "memorable" and "innovative or "breathtaking" (A)D&D/D20 gaming the last twenty years, and I wonder if, in the overall run, things came down to the few "big names" everyone seems to remember (like ToEE - which was..... oh well, it was big, but neither much fun to play or GM ), with many great adventures simply falling behind due to the fact that not everyone has played _everything_ - which would mean, fame and better sales outweighing true qualities...

Still, it makes a nice kick-off for a "fun" debate...

 

[DaveMage]

...So you're saying that pretty much everything that isn't on the list should be?

Those are the 30 greatest ones from those who participated in the survey - and for various reasons - not always because it was a great product all around.

The #1 choice, Queen of Spiders (or parts thereof) I wholeheartedly agree with, so I read the rest as "in no particular order".

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Which is a crying shame. I always found setting-specific adventures to be muchly superior to "vanilla" adventures, which tend to be isolated dungeon-crawls because they have no setting in which to be grounded.

<snip>

"Vanilla" adventures are boring. It's in the setting-specific stuff the fun lies.

And some of us think the exact opposite. I have very little use for setting specific adventures. I don't run games in a published setting, so the generic (or vanilla as you call them) adventures are of much greater use and interest to me. I can read them and not have to know a ton of setting specific material which is useless to my games.

Looking at the list, I actually find it quite good. Not everything I would have included is there, some are there that I don't care for, and my order would be different, but as a subjective list, I like it. I am a bit disappointed to not see a few d20 adventures from other companies on the list, but can completely understand why they are not included. I can certainly agree with the #1 pick, as it includes my top 3 adventures of all time (although I would have them broken out as seperate entries).

Nice job Erik & co! I'll like to see more articles like this one in future issues of Dragon & Dungeon.

 

[jester47]

I'm pretty impressed with the list - most of my favorites are up there, barring a few 2e mega-modules that I thought should be (Axe of the Dwarvish Lords, Rod of Seven Parts, Night Below, Return to the Tomb of Horrors)...

But Return to the Tomb of Horrors is on there... its number 10.

I hope this makes you happier.

Aaron.

 

[Arnwyn]

But Return to the Tomb of Horrors is on there... its number 10.

I hope this makes you happier.

It does! (Actually, I just realized it was there a short while ago, and was hoping nobody noticed I said that after losing track of this thread...)

Great adventure, that. Other than the 3e adventures being there, I realize that it does very much closely match what I like (especially #1 and #2 - right where I want 'em).

 

[jester47]

In defense of FoF, I like it. I find that it has a lot of reuse. Used dynamicly is really works. Its out in the middle of nowhere and creatures live there. It seems pretty robust to me. Its one of the places my characters had to run away from!

Ah well, to each his own. I think Sunless should be there but agian my opinion. I think the first two of the adventure path are really good.

Aaron.

 

[Glyfair]

Great adventure, that. Other than the 3e adventures being there, I realize that it does very much closely match what I like (especially #1 and #2 - right where I want 'em).

I think RotToEE is acceptable. I know people have strong opinions on it, but it seems that applies to most entries on the list. It definitely has strong moments that will tend to be remembered long after it is played.

 

[Psion]

I think RotToEE is acceptable. I know people have strong opinions on it, but it seems that applies to most entries on the list.

Most of the people who have "strong opinions" of it are greyhawk purists who are mad that they dare go beyond Gary's vision, which really doesn't say much about the adventure itself.

That said, it didn't make my list, primarily because I think it has real potential to turn into drudgery. Much like Night Below.