D&D 5E (2014) What is your favorite encounter site or dungeon from an official module?


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I’m a big fan of Varkenbluff Museum from Keys from the Golden Vault. Evocative location with a lot going on. The Casino, Stygian Gambit, is also really good fun.

I also really enjoyed the city of Nangalore from Tomb of Annihilation and the Tomb itself.

I really enjoyed the Amber Temple in Curse of Strahd. Pretty unique location.

The product with the most great locations is Dragon Heist - chock full of great locations. Pretty much every one of the main dungeons in game are really high quality and interesting. From the first warehouse to the 4 villain’s lairs

Forge of Fury is probably one of the best adventure locations ever released for any edition I would say (I’ll be using it as the fallen kingdom of Tethyamar in my Dales Sandbox. So I wholeheartedly agree with @Zardnaar
 

I really like all of the giant lairs from Storm King's Thunder, but Grudd Haug stands out to me. I've run it as a DM and played it as a player. Lots of fun both times. Oooh, and Ironslag, the fire giant lair. It's got a rotating bucket system that will take you all around the map if you jump inside it. Brilliant design.

In a different thread a few days back (also started by Reynard IIRC) someone reminded me what a great little map Cragmaw Hideout is from Lost Mine of Phandelver.

Maps of towers typically annoy me but Feathergale Spire from Princes of the Apocalypse is the exception. I turned that into a heist scenario and had a ball with it.
 

Keeping an eye on this thread to mine for new campaign. Already going to mine PotA and RotFM for some dungeons to stick in Anauroch. Might have to buy Storm Kings Thunder or see if one of my players has it.
 

  • Castle Ravenloft
  • The first dungeon of the starter set (it's a very very nice one shot for newbie)
  • Death house and the Amber Temple in Curse of Strahd
  • The tomb of the nine gods (Tomb of Annihilation)
 

I don’t know if I have a true favorite, but I’m fond of Castle Amber for being so creative and bizarre. It’s very fun with the right group.

I also like the entrance level of the Temple of Elemental Evil, probably due in part to the evocative artwork on the cover.
 


Actually, amending my previous post… I do kind of have a favorite: the Ruins of Phlan, as depicted in the old Pool of Radiance and Ruins of Adventure, the module based on it. I think it’s a great campaign for beginners, and I’ve run it 4 times over the years, in 3 different editions of D&D and 1 very home brewed version of Stormbringer.

It starts simple fighting kobolds and goblins, but builds intrigue quickly. The players can feel like heroes as they reclaim districts in the ruins as they go, and each district has a very distinct feel.
 

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