[Dungeon] Top 30 Greatest Adventures Discussion (Spoilers)
- Thread starter Glyfair
- Start date
I guess that's what happens when you get a panel or committee and sum up the votes; individual judges may have pulled out obscure ones, but only the classics that everyone knew were likely to sum more than the odd vote and end up on the list.
The fact that none of the Dark Sun modules ended up on that list sort of invalidates it's credibility for me. :\
The fact that none of the Dark Sun modules ended up on that list sort of invalidates it's credibility for me. :\
Ycore Rixle
First Post
Ravenloft exists at a higher level than everything else on that list. The writing, the plot, the characters, the game mechanics, and the cartography are works of genius. Our genre, the adventure game, has not anything to show more fair.
To my knowledge, Masks of Nyarlathotep (for CoC) and the 1st edition DMG are the only other RPG books that can stand with I6 Ravenloft as books of true genius. Many other books are great game books, but these three are in a class by themselves.
To my knowledge, Masks of Nyarlathotep (for CoC) and the 1st edition DMG are the only other RPG books that can stand with I6 Ravenloft as books of true genius. Many other books are great game books, but these three are in a class by themselves.
I guess it's important to recognize that it is the Top 30 Greatest Adventures _as determined by the judges_ - since any two people are going to disagree on what the list is.. even the individual judges themselves probably disagree with some of the choices but just happened to be outvoted. 
These lists are always fun, because modules are such weird beasts. Module design is such a random art. There's this weird breakdown where modules that are really well designed for gaming and those that are very poorly designed for use can both get very good reviews. In a lot of cases, a module with a very linear, controlled plot is more fun to read than one designed for gaming, so they that model of design tends to get good reviews. In turn, that makes designers mimic that style.
On top of that, modules are (like I said above) maddeningly random. I might put a throw away encounter into a dungeon, say a bunch of dire rats hanging around a room. It's just there to even off the XP load and ensure that the PCs gain a level. Next door to it is the encounter with the 4th level illusionist who has this tricked out, dead clever strategy. I've put 1 gram of effort into the rat room and 10 kilos into the spellcaster encounter.
But, when the DM runs the module, the party's big, bad, 20 Strength half-orc fighter keeps rolling ones when the party tangles with the rats. In the end, the 8 Strength elf wizard wastes them with his staff. That encounter sticks out with the gaming group, and it might become the stuff of in-jokes and stories for years around the gaming table. Meanwhile, the DM overlooks one of the illusionist's spells, or the party comes up with a clever trick to completely school him, and everyone forgets that encounter because it was over in about a minute.
Anyway, that's my take on taste in adventures. Personally, it was fun going through my top choices and reflecting on how many of them were there because of all the fun I had playing or running them, as opposed to how well-written or designed they were. It was pretty eye opening to see that, aside from outright inept design, a module is only as good as the group and the DM lets it be.
On top of that, modules are (like I said above) maddeningly random. I might put a throw away encounter into a dungeon, say a bunch of dire rats hanging around a room. It's just there to even off the XP load and ensure that the PCs gain a level. Next door to it is the encounter with the 4th level illusionist who has this tricked out, dead clever strategy. I've put 1 gram of effort into the rat room and 10 kilos into the spellcaster encounter.
But, when the DM runs the module, the party's big, bad, 20 Strength half-orc fighter keeps rolling ones when the party tangles with the rats. In the end, the 8 Strength elf wizard wastes them with his staff. That encounter sticks out with the gaming group, and it might become the stuff of in-jokes and stories for years around the gaming table. Meanwhile, the DM overlooks one of the illusionist's spells, or the party comes up with a clever trick to completely school him, and everyone forgets that encounter because it was over in about a minute.
Anyway, that's my take on taste in adventures. Personally, it was fun going through my top choices and reflecting on how many of them were there because of all the fun I had playing or running them, as opposed to how well-written or designed they were. It was pretty eye opening to see that, aside from outright inept design, a module is only as good as the group and the DM lets it be.
Felon said:
As already pointed out, Martek is part of the Desert of Desolation series which placed quite respectably.
NDT is meant to bridge the gap between Basic and Expert level play (and their respective orientations toward dungeon crawl and wilderness exploration) in Basic D&D. It's a wide-ranging quest that takes a group all over northern Karameikos, and you learn quite a bit about the culture and history of the area along the way. I ran it a few years ago, spliced into a different setting (a mistake as I'm now about to start a Mystara campaign where it would have fit far better), and my players couldn't get enough - it was some of the most enjoyable sessions I've ever had, and I had some problems with a certain player at the time that proved impossible to overcome except for most of the duration of that one adventure.
It was also one of those modules with a British flag on them, by a different set of designers than TSR usually used at the time. They were responsible for some other really excellent modules - the U and UK series plus at least one of the I modules - and at least one of them should have made it, if not NDT then Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh for starting the whole experiment (and probably being a lot of people's introduction to AD&D), or All That Glitters with its way-cool setting and memorable twist ending...
EDIT - oops, Saltmarsh did make the list.
Last edited:
TheAuldGrump
First Post
Wow, I disagree with more than half the list.
Ah well... at least Ravenloft, Desert of Desolation, Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, Castle Amber, and Assassin's Knot made it to the list
The Auld Grump
Ah well... at least Ravenloft, Desert of Desolation, Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, Castle Amber, and Assassin's Knot made it to the list
The Auld Grump
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