What are the classic adventure modules of 3E? (with a tally!)

[Vocenoctum]

Freeport is a great series of adventures, but I don't know how much they'll be remembered down the line. There's really just too much variety out there.

Return to Temple and Rappan Athuk just didn't do it for me. Rappan Athuk especially seemed just bad, while trying to cloak that under the aura of "1st edition feel"

But then, I never liked the Slaver's series either. GDQ and Temple were great, but I skipped the slavers when I ran the series.

Sunless Citadel, I skipped it. If anything the Forge of Fury is better and Speaker in Dreams and Standing Stone are good also. The later ones have not appealed to me much.

 

[Roland Delacroix]

I think Of Sound Mind has a shot once it's out a little longer. Great module with some interesting unique bits. It can handle many levels too, so it should get used more.

 

[Psion]

Return to Temple and Rappan Athuk just didn't do it for me. Rappan Athuk especially seemed just bad, while trying to cloak that under the aura of "1st edition feel"

1st edition feel doesn't preclude it from being a 3e/d20 classic. I think it [Rappan Athuk] is. It has its share of problems (especially the first one), but it is the "classic dungeon crawl" of d20/3e.

I also think Of Sound Mind will be a classic. I'd like to think Banewarrens and If Thoughts Could Kill would be too.

Bastion of Broken Souls is possibly the best WotC module, but probably too high level to be widely enjoyed.

RTtToEE remains to be seen. Well put together, but I can't attest how memorable it will be.

 

[Nathanael]

I agree with the thought that Sunless Citadel will be 3E's Keep on the Borderlands. Yes, it's a bit slow. Yes, it's a bit unrealistic. Yes, Meepo was annoying as hell for my players (something I got a lot of mileage of as he was one of the most interesting NPC in there).

But then, those who remember or, like myself, still own the 'Keep' will remember how carboard the NPCs of the fortress were, how repetitive the dungeoncrawls were (Kill all bad guys in particular section of caves, take their stuff, retire to fortress to cash in and rest. Rinse and Repeat), and how ludicrous the whole 'Apartment Complex of Evil' theme was. I mean, how realistic is it that a bunch of completely different monsters would tolerate each other living in such close proximity, even under the pretense of being evil? The Owlbear alone should have reduced the number of orcs and goblinoids in the area by just walking across to their caves whenever it got hungry. Still, it was my first D&D adventure, it was a new experience and, being as yet unjaded, it was the most fun I'd ever had.

As for my Meepo story, the PC's let him lead them as far as the White Wyrm (being incredibly annoying and as troublesome as possible by setting off every trap and opening every door they missed) with the help of two Kobold Hunters. They let the wyrm waste its breath on the hunters, let Meepo help subdue it and then the rogue stabbed the trusting and friendly little kobold right between the shoulder blades before anyone else could raise an objection. He said 'To hell with the Kobolds. I want a new pair of Dragon Skin Boots!'

 

[Vocenoctum]

1st edition feel doesn't preclude it from being a 3e/d20 classic. I think it is. It has its share of problems (especially the first one), but it is the "classic dungeon crawl" of d20/3e.

Ah, I only have the first one. I found it to be totally useless to me, from unavoidable insta-kill traps to just plan silly monsters and stuff. (IMO of course

Bastion was a decent storyline, I doubt I'll ever use it though.

 

[Gumby]

It's really too early to call any of the 3E modules classics.

I think RttToEE will be fondly remembered, by DMs at least, if not players. For the DM, there's a long, detailed plot, with lots of NPCs all interacting with each other, all on an epic scale. I'll remember Tharizdun tricking all the other gods, the fruit, the railings, the everpresent cold everywhere, and all the Evil God trappings that lent the module a lot of atmosphere. Unfortunately, I think my players will mostly remember the Fort save DCs. That was a bruiser of a module, and really should be toned down in some places. (Undoing the Insanity scores for all the clerics would be a start.)

Sunless wasn't too bad, but was a little too "different," I think, to be a Classic D&D Module. Plant things, druids, whiny kobolds, these all added up to be fun, but IMO the module didn't feel like a typical D&D adventure. That might not be so much of a problem for others, but for me, it's a sticking point.

Forge of Fury was too far in the opposite direction. Drow! Duergar! Old Dwarven mine! Obligatory Succubus! The whole cliched gang's here!

Speaker in Dreams I didn't DM, because I wanted to get everyone into RTOE, but it just didn't seem like an adventure my players would have appreciated anyway. They're not keen on mysteries. I didn't really care for the synopsis anyway.

Standing Stone: Gah. Boy, everybody within a hundred-mile radius really seems to hate this town. I wonder why? Give me a break. Any player who can't foresee the "twist ending" by the end of the first play session is a moron.

Heart of Nightfang Spire: Now, this one I LIKE. Nice twist on the "raid the evil dungeon" adventure. Gulthias was neat, as was his Wight-from-hell sidekick. Gotta love the pit traps, too.

Deep Horizon: Not too bad. Didn't play it, but kind of neat to read. Nothing really wrong here.

I'm just going to stop reviewing the Adventure Path modules now, and close with this. It's not how the modules are written, but what your DM does with them, that make modules classic. I could easily see RTOE as a classic, and maybe Nightfang Spire, but that's it, as far as the WoTC modules go.

 

[coyote6]

Forge of Fury was too far in the opposite direction. Drow! Duergar! Old Dwarven mine! Obligatory Succubus! The whole cliched gang's here!

Drow? In Forge of Fury? Where?

I'd say Sunless Citadel has a good chance at being a "classic".

OTOH, I'm not too sure the old "classics" were really all that great, so I could buy most anything becoming a "classic". As Gumby said, it's not so much what's written as it is what groups do with the material that makes an adventure "classic".

 

[Gizzard]

It going to be the Sunless Citadel and the Forge of Fury.

My group and all of the groups I know are playing them. (Our group started first and are farthest along; every now and then I sit in on my GFs group and watch the mayhem. Its the fun of DMing (knowing whats going to happen next) without all the work.) There are a lot of classic pieces in there that people will talk about (Meepo, Balsag, the opening sequence of FoF) which I think is the sign of a good experience.

OTOH, we will restart after we finish Forge (one more session!) and I will be DMing Freeport. I like the look of the first one, though I worry its a bit short. The second one I like a bit less, and the third one seems to have one entire sequence which is a problem. We'll see how things go. Personally, I'd recommend Freeport only for more experienced parties and DMs. Not that the module requires the DM to shore up gaping holes; its just that its more wide-open and therefore the DM will have to be on his toes at all times. Part of the beauty of Sunless Citadel, etc, is that its very DM friendly and I expect that it was designed with that in mind.

 

[Gumby]

Drow? In Forge of Fury? Where?

Oh, right. Wulf's Story Hour screwed me up. Never mind.

 

[Xarlen]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned...


ORC AND PIE!

Now, I shall flee, lest I am hit with many a death-spell and vorpal sword.