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

[mirzabah]

IMC [Meepo] was killed by a goblin spear. The poor guy only had two hit points.

In mine he was iced by Calcryx...

Originally posted by Celebrim
The DL series: 1st editions crowning achievement.

I suppose you could say that ... if by "crowning achievement" you mean "perfection in the art of railroading".

Back on topic... I think it's a bit early to be nominating classics, but I'd put Sunless Citadel and Freeport down as the the most likely modules to be remembered as classics.

From 1E the classics (IMNSHO) are Keep, Saltmarsh and Slavers with Saltmarsh being my all-time favourite adventure.

I notice that there seem to be very few 2E classics mentioned in this thread. Just an observation - I skipped 2E myself, so I can't really say whether it produced any worthy modules.

 

[Gizzard]

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Do not read if you plan to play Sunless Citadel.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

In mine he was iced by Calcryx...

There was a quick negotiation in Draconic between Calcryx and our Half-Orc Barbarian, then the ice began to fly. It was never quite clear to the rest of us whether Calcryx was negotiating or merely stating that he wasnt interested in negotiating; it also was never clear whether the Barbarian was a target of the ice-cone or whether he was just unluckily close to Meepo.

Later, the Barbarian was very evasive about what happened. Actually, he was very evasive about all of his negotiations with Draconic-speaking races. Hmmm.

 

[MEG Hal]

I guess I'll weigh in on this.
* Interludes - Brief Expeditions to Bluffside. This one could become some groups' "Keep On The Borderlands."

Thanks CH!
And Interludes: Sands of pain due out in October will get you from a city to a desert with intrigue, and a real cool story...can't wait for you all to see it!

 

[Dinkeldog]

I'd go with:

Forge of Fury
Speaker in Dreams
Bastion of Lost Souls

from the Adventure Path series. RttToEE is also going to be up there.

In addition, Of Sound Mind is excellent and should achieve classic status at least for introducing psionics. Freeport will likely hold that status as well, although I found it more predictable--sometimes predictability aids classic status.

 

[Toscadero]

I agree that classics are the ones that everyone remembers (or has heard about). My first 3E campaign was a homebrew and the players said it was one of the best they ever played. Interestingly, I used no modules for that one. Having said that, it will be a "classic" only to the four players who were there.

Currently we are doing RttToEE. We played Sunless Citadel and Forge of Fury as preludes. I found Sunless Citadel to be a little bland. I loved Forge of Fury. We are just entering the Inner Fane in RttToEE. The players love this one. "Let's bash!" is a common quote on game night. However, as a DM, I'm finding the whole thing a bit long and am eagerly anticipating the end so that I can run something new.

I haven't played the Freeport modules, but plan on doing so soon. From the buzz others have given it, Freeport seems to be one that should not be missed.

 

[Eristophenes]

In my opinion (and my players) Cruicible of Frey was the adventure to remember - good plot, lots of side trks... With additional staff form Necromancer's Web it became sort of mini-campaign...

Also I think that Rappan Athuk is a Classic... I know - it has some errors, but it's really thing to remember for players and DM alike.

I haven't run RttToEE, but after I read it I can tell that it also can be named classic.

Of course Freeport Serie has its own place among classic modules...

I don't like Wizards of the Coast adventure path series but I'm sure that Sunless Citadel has to be considered classic - it's first module to almost 90% people, I think...

Regards

 

[Piratecat]

Re: Re: Truly?

Rumor is Piratecat will be DMing at my FLGS in the distant future! Looking forward to that.

Really? Cool! Someone should tell me about these things.

Which is your friendly neighborhood gaming store?

 

[FDP Mike]

Re: Truly?

I would like to point the astute reader to the number of WotC adventures nominated for an ENnie this year.

Yeah, I know, eh!

This is partly why greymarch's statement caught me off guard. Anyone following the ENnies from nominations to awards could have seen the significance of WotC's absence in the adventure category. Here, in fact, lies one of the great benefits of the ENnies: exposure to material that might otherwise slip beneath many a gamer's radar. I mean, I'd not even heard about Hall of the Rainbow Mage, so I made sure to snag a copy at GenCon, and I'll be giving it a read soon (after finishing much other stuff . . . like, well, editing ). This says to me that the judges did their "job" extremely well.

(By the way, how are you tying NV and OSM together? Just curious, eh.)

Originally posted by Numion
Well, I think almost like that. If it's not WotC or Malhavoc, it doesn't exist. Somehow I just haven't bought any other d20 stuff than wotc's or Malhavoc Press'.

Both companies do put out fabulous products. Ultimately, we all have the "right" to limit or expand our purchasing as we see fit, particularly in a market with so many publishers and products available. Perhaps it's a matter of trust: i.e., we can trust that only a certain few publishers will produce the sort of material that we want, thus anything else is ignored or treated with scepticism. Maybe this perspective will change, if slowly. As many have mentioned here and in threads discussing the ENnies, quite a few "3rd-party" publishers are catching up to WotC in terms of production values and quality; moreover, as I must keep reminding myself, a lot of people still do not know what "d20" means in real terms -- i.e., that publishers other than WotC are producing material for D&D and, now, a wealth of other genres. I wonder if "the word" is simply taking a while to trickle down through the system. If WotC's release schedule for next year stays as limited as it currently stands, more space might open up for gamers to look for other products to fill the gaps, so to speak.

We'll see, I guess.

Originally posted by Storminator
Rumor is Piratecat will be DMing at my FLGS in the distant future! Looking forward to that.

Don't miss this opportunity to get in on the game, then! Piratecat won "best judge" at GenCon this year -- 2nd year in a row. Just watch out for the dreaded Baby Shield . . . .


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

P.S. I know it's early yet, but Gary Gygax's Necropolis (Necromancer Games) has the chance to become a true "classic." I mean, it had that "classic" feel all through it when I worked on it, and the final product is gorgeous. It's deadly, though: PCs will die if players aren't, um, paying very close attention.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

It's hard to say right now, but one that might be is WotC's Sunless Citadel. Everybody has played this thing.

Waaaah! I regret having missed this experience. I joined my current group in the last session of Sunless Citadel. I never met Meepo... all I got to do was hack up some twigs and a couple bugbears. Easily forgotten, but you folks are making me regret it.

* Of Sound Mind - While I think this is deserving of the term future classic, I think the fact that it is psionics-related will ultimately limit its appeal. I think a lot of people use psionics in their games, but not in the numbers that would get this one as widely used as some of the others. Still, it deserves to be a classic.

I don't really know why this is classified as a "psionic" adventure. Is it billed that way on the cover? It's every bit as fun for a party with no psions.

This one will definitely be a classic. It will always remain my choice for "Introductory Adventure" simply on account of the attention to detail given to running the thing. There are some truly fantastic tips in there for DMing. The whole dream thing is pure genius (and I'm not just saying that because Piratecat is bearing my love child). This is the module I will most enjoy running for complete D&D newbies, because it is the best I have ever seen at developing a MOOD.

Ten or twenty years down the line, you may not remember the details of your first adventure, but by God you remember the mood.

Well, don't worry, I won't try convincing you to give FDP adventures a look. I'm just curious if more people feel as you do: i.e., "If it's not WotC, then it doesn't exist."

Not at all, not at all, I'll pretty much buy any FDP stuff these days, as it is all super quality. That said, as long as you're watching this thread:

Can we do something about the cartography? The maps are easily the weakest part of any FDP adventure. They are just so confusing, broken up all over the module. I am trying to run Beyond All Reason now and it is a friggin MESS. I understand it's a pretty big area to deal with, but still... It's a nightmare.

Wulf

 

[Psion]

(By the way, how are you tying NV and OSM together? Just curious, eh.)

I wasn't. At least not directly.

In a manner, by family ties. Family members both handed down the keys and were characters who faced copperdeath 50 years ago. Perhaps Paytro rewarded the heroes who defeated copperdeath.

Also, the players asked a sage about the history of the NeMoren family, and caught wind of the flaming sword, which I was not going to let them find... but once they heard about it, they were after it with a vengeance. Some of the hobgoblins escaped after the initial onslaught at NMV. I was thinking of planting some leads that suggest that the hobgoblins fled across the mountains and into the area where some other goblinoids dwell, near bellhold...