I was looking through the issue with the best d&d adventures and it has the small column with the best dungeon adventures (top 10). I am planning on running my group through those adventures- are there any that the wonderfully knowledgable people here can recommend as well? and if so please provide a brief synopsis and what you enjoyed about the adventure.
I'm a big fan of "Rama Mor," in issue #86. It has the perfect "classic pulp fantasy" feel ... this is an adventure I could easily see Conan or Fafhrd & Mouser on. Plus the artwork is beautifully creepy.
Basic premise: the characters are hired on as muscle on an expedition up a forbidding jungle river (think Heart of Darkness) to find a treasure supposedly lurking in a lost temple and have to fight their way past savage lizardfolk and an ancient death cult -- only to find themselves facing undead monks at the end!
Over the years, I have picked up a Dungeon mag here and there, I must say that I was not too impressed. The issue that gained my notice was the Istivin series by Greg A. Vaughan. It was from issue 117-119. I have played Greyhawk for years and the name of that city caught my eye. After checking out the issue I was hooked. I have been trying to get back issues everywhere and a subscription is on the way. I just saw that Greg has another story coming up in #131. Eric Mona and James Jacobs have been spectacular in getting great writers and choosing the best stories.
I wish I knew, but I'm not allowed to read them. (My DM said said so.)
It doubly sucks because I've almost completed my entire collection of Dungeon Magazines (in PDF at least).
Given that that there are on average 5 adventures in each of the first 100 issues, any DM could have enough material to run games for decades before needing something new. (And of course Paizo will still continue to publishing during that time.)
Over the years, I have picked up a Dungeon mag here and there, I must say that I was not too impressed. The issue that gained my notice was the Istivin series by Greg A. Vaughan. It was from issue 117-119. I have played Greyhawk for years and the name of that city caught my eye. After checking out the issue I was hooked. I have been trying to get back issues everywhere and a subscription is on the way. I just saw that Greg has another story coming up in #131. Eric Mona and James Jacobs have been spectacular in getting great writers and choosing the best stories.
I went over to www.3d6.org and downloaded the sortable Dungeon magazine adventure index to refresh my memory.
Here are what I consider good adventures:
* Clockwork Fortress (126) -- this would be a bear to run because of the complex environment, but wow! what a difference from the standard underground dungeon
* The Styes (121) -- a city-based adventure with a smattering of Lovecraftian weirdness to it; just a really solid example of D&D
* Practical Magic (113) -- this adventure gets bonus points for
having an area that is only reachable via teleportation or ethereal jaunt
-- plus it's a nice little adventure in its own right -- and I don't even like the Forgotten Realms!
* Mellorn Hospitality (107) -- kind of a mess, but an interesting blend of genres and a great villainess
* Lich-Queen's Beloved (100) -- the capstone to the Githyanki Incursion
* Beast of Burden (100) -- another adventure in a very unusual setting: atop a giant, lizard-like beast controlled by gnolls
and their evil hound archon master
* Pandemonium in the Veins (96) -- a glorious mess of an adventure, worthy of setting up your entire campaign to get to; who doesn't want to be a gladiator?!
