D&D 5E Rank the Official 5e Adventures (Updated)

[Retreater]

Nearly a year and a half ago, I posted the linked thread asking everyone's ranking of the official 5e adventures. Not wanting to necro the thread, I thought I would update it in this post. I'm curious your thoughts. (New additions to my list are in red text.)

D&D 5E - Rank the Official 5e Adventures

Online, I've seen several rankings of the official Wizards of the Coast 5th edition adventures. But I don't recall having seen one on these forums, at least not recently. I've seen votes of the favorite (usually Curse of Strahd), but not a ranking of all of them - or a top 5. I'll post my...

www.enworld.org

Top Tier – only minor issues (if any)
1. Curse of Strahd
2. Tomb of Annihilation
3. Lost Mines of Phandelver
Mid Tier- can be good with some work; or just “ho-hum” in delivery
4. Princes of the Apocalypse
5. Out of the Abyss
6. Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Lower Tier – needs some polish to come together as a campaign; or glaring issues that need to be addressed
7. Storm King’s Thunder
8. Descent into Avernus
9. Ghosts of Saltmarsh
10. Tales from the Yawning Portal
11. Waterdeep Dragon Heist
12. Rime of the Frost Maiden
Failure Tier – unusable
13. Horde of the Dragon Queen
The other adventures I do not own and do not plan to own or read.

 

[Stormonu]

I’d put Ghosts in the mid-tier. It has one weak point (Danger at Dunwater section), but it just makes that section short if the PCs are on their toes.

It may be because of the DM I’m playing under, but I would put Tomb of Annihilation is the Failure Tier. As it has been run for my group at home, it’s an unorganized mess that depends too much on sandbox play (i.e., the DM better be really good at improvising).

 

[Burnside]

Top Tier
1. Curse of Strahd
2. Tomb of Annihilation
3. Lost Mine of Phandelver
4. Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Mid Tier
5. Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
6. Out of the Abyss
7. Dragon of Icespire Peak
8. Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Lower Tier
9. Tyranny of Dragons
10. Storm King's Thunder

Haven't read or played Princes of the Apocalypse. I am about 1/3rd or so through playing Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus, so I can't evaluate it fairly yet.

I'm not gonna include the anthology/compilation books because they are such mixed bags and really a different animal from these adventures.

 

[Gradine]

Top Tier
1. Curse of Strahd
2. Lost Mine of Phandelver
3. Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
4. Candlekeep Mysteries
Mid Tier
5. Tyranny of Dragons
6. Out of the Abyss
7. Rime of the Frost Maiden
8. Descent to Avernus
Lower Tier
9. Ghosts of Saltmarsh
10. Tomb of Annihilation
11. Princes of the Apocalypse
Garbage Tier
12. Storm Kings Thunder
13. Tales from the Yawning Portal
14. Dragon Heist

I'm a big HotDQ apologist; I actually think it's pretty cleverly designed, if awkward and unfinished. Unfortunately, as well designed as it was for new players, it was pretty perfectly engineered to drive old school grognards up the wall

It's certainly more playable than the OG Tomb of Horrors, and more enjoyable than the wet thud of Dragon Heist

 

[Malmuria]

I haven't run any of these, but the one that I would want to run is ghosts of saltmarsh, so it is interesting that it is a lower tier for many of you. The starting town itself is the perfect base for sandbox play. Plus, it's not in the forgotten realms!

 

[The Green Hermit]

I haven't run any of these, but the one that I would want to run is ghosts of saltmarsh, so it is interesting that it is a lower tier for many of you. The starting town itself is the perfect base for sandbox play. Plus, it's not in the forgotten realms!

It can be in the Forgotten Realms. There are suggestions as to where to place it.

 

[Swedish Chef]

Top Tier
Lost Mine of Phandelver
Mid Tier
Descent to Avernus
Ghosts of Saltmarsh*
Dungeon of the Mad Mage*
Lower Tier
Storm Kings Thunder
Horde of the Dragon Queen

Other than Ghosts and Mad Mage, these are the modules our group have played. I am currently running Descent. Mechanically it has its flaws, yes, but I've found it very easy to work around those or even ignore sections that don't work well. Lulu technically doesn't even exist - she's mind trapped in a Ring of Mind Shielding worn by the Cleric. Makes for amazing role play in our group. In fact, the overall role play and character development in this one adventure has been so great that it is the key factor in me rating it so high. YMMV.

I own Ghosts and DotMM and have read through them and find them to have great potential, and I am looking forward to running them soon.

 

[Charlaquin]

Top Tier – only minor issues (if any)
Curse of Strahd
Lost Mines of Phandelver
Tomb of Annihilation*
Mid Tier- can be good with some work; or just “ho-hum” in delivery
Dragon of Icespire Peak*
Tales from the Yawning Portal
Candlekeep Mysteries*
Tyranny of Dragons*
Lower Tier – needs some polish to come together as a campaign; or glaring issues that need to be addressed
Rime of the Frost Maiden*
Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Princes of the Apocalypse*
Waterdeep Dragon Heist
Waterdeep Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Failure Tier – unusable
Storm King’s Thunder
Descent into Avernus*
Horde of the Dragon Queen
Out of the Abyss

*haven’t run or played in, just my second-hand impression.

 

[The Green Hermit]

Top Tier – only minor issues (if any)
Curse of Strahd
Lost Mines of Phandelver
Tomb of Annihilation*
Mid Tier- can be good with some work; or just “ho-hum” in delivery
Dragon of Icespire Peak*
Tales from the Yawning Portal
Candlekeep Mysteries*
Tyranny of Dragons*
Lower Tier – needs some polish to come together as a campaign; or glaring issues that need to be addressed
Rime of the Frost Maiden*
Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Princes of the Apocalypse*
Waterdeep Dragon Heist
Waterdeep Dungeon of the Mad Mage
Failure Tier – unusable
Storm King’s Thunder
Descent into Avernus*
Horde of the Dragon Queen
Out of the Abyss

*haven’t run or played in, just my second-hand impression.

I find it interesting that you put ToD in the Mid Tier, but HotDQ (the first half) in the Failure Tier.

 

[Charlaquin]

I find it interesting that you put ToD in the Mid Tier, but HotDQ (the first half) in the Failure Tier.

Well note that ToD has an asterisk, indicating that I haven’t played or DMed it, so its placement is just based on my secondhand impression. I have both played and DMed HotDQ though, so its position is based on experience, and I’m much more confident in that evaluation. But from what I’ve heard, it sounds to me like ToD plays much better than HotDQ does. Maybe it should be in lower tier rather than mid? I dunno, but I get the impression that it should at least escape the failure tier.