Looking for a "good" module drama-wise (maybe 2E?)

[Ry]

Hi everybody.

Somehow I've been roped into running another campaign in the near future, but I'm trying to keep my planning to a minimum. Anyone know of a good module with...

interesting plot
fun NPCs
PCs aren't second fiddle to anybody
a good villain?

I really don't care about how good the dungeon / setting / new monsters / rules are, because I've got good ones myself. Any ideas?

I have this sneaking suspicious that this is a 2E D&D kind of question...

 

[Sholari]

Try the Longest Night by Privateer Press. It has a fairly dynamic plot with a lot of surprises to keep the party guessing. NPCs are interesting and multidimensional. Finally, the villian is more of the sympathetic variety... not wholly evil but more misguided.

 

[Ghostwind]

Song of Storms by MonkeyGod Enterprises. Everything you are asking for plus it's well-written and quite interesting.

 

[Allandaros]

2E all the way!

The one module that pops into my mind is Mark of Amber. It's got a slew and a half of uber-powerful characters, but they're all:
a) looney
b) not really taking the lead from the players (who are "destined" to be the chosen heroes)

It's also got a bunch of fun NPCs (when you live forever, you start to become a bit...strange...), and these fun NPCs start dropping like flies when the murder subplot starts.

WARNING: The CD enclosed with the module doesn't completely suck, but it then requires you to pronounce the names of all the NPCs with a credible French accent. I confused my players inadvertently by trying to add on the French accent to "Father Simon," causing them to wonder who the heck "Simone" was and why she was called Father.

If I seem overly enthusiastic about this module, it's because Mark of Amber was the VERY FIRST RPG product I bought. It's warm and fuzzy, in a murderous killing-spree sort of fashion. AND there's a really nifty high-magic house.

 

[GSHamster]

I've always liked "A Lion in the Ropes" from Troll Lord Games. It's fun, mysterious, and the villains are blast to play. It's for low level characters as well.

Link to reviews

 

[Mark]

Looking for a "good" module drama-wise...

Level?

 

[Ry]

Oh... (looks around sheepishly) ... Let's say "low to mid" - I'm not for supers...

and I've stopped using d20 mechanics in favor of a homebrew version of Unisystem.

(ducks, hides, is hit by bricks, crawls for tiny hole)

 

[RangerWickett]

Y'know, this has been kicking in the back of my head for a while, but this thread made me really want to do a published adventure, even though I know they seldom sell. I just know I could make an interesting one, though. Hmm. I suppose I should post elsewhere to discuss this.

On topic, though, I find 'interesting villain' is one of the hardest things to get. I mean, how often do PCs meet a villain without fighting him? That's one of the big challenges in any good adventure.

 

[Mark]

(ducks, hides, is hit by bricks, crawls for tiny hole)

Like we couldn't find you...

 

[Akrasia]

... and I've stopped using d20 mechanics in favor of a homebrew version of Unisystem.

(ducks, hides, is hit by bricks, crawls for tiny hole)

No need to duck from me. I think Unisystem is a great game. Are you using the D&Z supplement?

Anyway, I would recommend the OAD&D module series UK2-4. UK2 and 3 make up the "Alderweg" series; UK4 is called "When A Star Falls". They are all written by Graeme Morris, and are very interesting, with lots of plot twists, etc. Probably my favourite series of all time.

If you can find it, the old BD&D module B10 called "Night's Dark Terror" is possibly the best module ever produced for any version of D&D.

With respect to 3e, I was favourably impressed with Necromancer's "Lost City of Barrakus", though that may be more than what you are looking for. Goodman Games' "Dungeon Crawl Classics" are all pretty solid.