# The 15 Best D&D Modules Of All Time



## Blackbrrd

The production value of that video was so terrible I couldn't stand getting further than #13. Starting of with a minute of fading text, moving text and transitions really isn't the way to go.

What I was expecting was a short presentation of the different modules. For instance some images of the art work and maps with a voice-over.


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## JeffB

When was this poll done? I never saw it, just the 3x one.


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## Morrus

JeffB said:


> When was this poll done? I never saw it, just the 3x one.




A while ago.  The 3.x one should be up in the next week or so.


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## EditorBFG

I would be interested to see what the results were for 4E adventures, since none made it into the top 15. I actually was Googling around the other day for most popular 4E adventures and couldn't find much of anything.


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## ColonelHardisson

An interesting list, and a number of surprises for me regarding inclusions, exclusions, and rank.

Red Hand of Doom placed far higher than I would have expected, even if I'd actually considered it to be on such a list. I like it a lot, actually, but it wouldn't occur to me to place it in the top 10, let alone top 5...especially when that top 5 doesn't include Against the Giants or Queen of the Spiders.

The absence of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks surprises me. I'd have thought it would at least rank somewhere in a top 15 list, especially with Night Below making it on that list. For that matter, Night Below making it in, but not Dragon Mountain, surprises me, too.

I've never been a big fan of Ravenloft. I don't think it's bad, but I've never quite grokked the widespread love for it. 

None of this is a complaint. It's a list different from what I'd come up with, but that's not a bad thing. It's interesting to see where tastes range, especially in comparison to the list from some years ago in Dungeon.

One comment about the video itself - it's paced a bit briskly. My tired old eyes have a hard time focusing and reading the quotes and comments due to the speed at which they appear and disappear.


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## Deuce Traveler

The Lost City, the Whispering Cairn, Isle of Dread, Castle Amber, Against the Giants, Tomb of Horrors, Keep on the Borderlands, Temple of Elemental Evil... these are some of my favorites.  I don't really agree with number one, however, but I do agree that it should be included as a classic adventure module.

Interesting to see that no 4E module was included in the list.  Now that we are transitioning to DnD Next I doubt we'll ever see one that can be considered.


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## Morrus

Here's how the list continues after #15 (but not shown in the video):

16) Return to the Tomb of Horrors
17) Rappan Athuk (+ Reloaded; votes combined)
18) The Banewarrens
19) The Gates of Firestorm Peak
20) White Plume Mountain
21) Against the Cult of the Reptile God
22) Expedition to the Barrier Peaks
23) Dragons of Despair
24) Caverns of Thracia
25) Dead Gods


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## ColonelHardisson

Morrus said:


> Here's how the list continues after #15 (but not shown in the video):
> 
> 16) Return to the Tomb of Horrors
> 17) Rappan Athuk (+ Reloaded; votes combined)
> 18) The Banewarrens
> 19) The Gates of Firestorm Peak
> 20) White Plume Mountain
> 21) Against the Cult of the Reptile God
> 22) Expedition to the Barrier Peaks
> 23) Dragons of Despair
> 24) Caverns of Thracia
> 25) Dead Gods




Fascinating. I would never have expected to see the Banewarrens at all. Again, not a bad adventure; in this case, I'm surprised simply because I rarely see any discussion of it. Judges Guild manages to make the list with Caverns of Thracia, but I would have guessed Dark Tower would have been JG's lone entry if I'd been asked to guess. I'm surprised to see Return to the Tomb of Horrors that high on the list; I love it, but I didn't think it would have that much appeal.


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## NewJeffCT

Deuce Traveler said:


> The Lost City, the Whispering Cairn, Isle of Dread, Castle Amber, Against the Giants, Tomb of Horrors, Keep on the Borderlands, Temple of Elemental Evil... these are some of my favorites.  I don't really agree with number one, however, but I do agree that it should be included as a classic adventure module.
> 
> Interesting to see that no 4E module was included in the list.  Now that we are transitioning to DnD Next I doubt we'll ever see one that can be considered.




I didn't hate 4E and ran a 2 year long campaign using 4E rules.  However, I don't recall many official 4E adventures out there - maybe if it had lasted longer, we'd have gotten more adventures for it?


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## NewJeffCT

Loved Ravenloft when I ran it many years ago in college, so I can see it as #1.  It did do a great job of setting atmosphere compared to previous published modules.

Was this list limited to just official TSR/WotC material?  I would have expected to have seen at least one Paizo Adventure Path on the list (Rise of the Runelords or Kingmaker?) otherwise, and maybe a few other non official adventures (I remember Freeport being very popular in early 3E days, but that was a long time ago now...)


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## Ed_Laprade

Ravenloft? I don't even consider that D&D! But then, I didn't vote, so I'll shut up about it now.    Some interesting choices and omissions, but I expect everyone will say that. And, as others have said, the presentation was just terrible! You need to slow the next one down a lot! I wonder what it would have looked like if compilations weren't included?


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## Argyle King

NewJeffCT said:


> I didn't hate 4E and ran a 2 year long campaign using 4E rules.  However, I don't recall many official 4E adventures out there - maybe if it had lasted longer, we'd have gotten more adventures for it?





There were plenty of 4E adventures.  However, none of them were particularly strong.  There are a few that I felt were really good, but -off the top of my head- I cannot think of any that were good enough for me to remember them now that I'm trying to think back on them.  I vaguely remember doing one in which there was a crazed wizard stuck inside of a pyramid or something to that effect.

For me, what I found was that many D&D adventures had excellent pieces; ideas I borrowed.  However; somehow, even with those excellent pieces, the overall combined adventures were not particularly strong.  The individual scenes were rather good, but the implementation of those pieces wasn't always above average.  (my opinion)

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I'm glad to see Red Hand of Doom on the list.  It's always been one of my favorites.  I was very very surprised to see Ravenloft at #1.  I know it's a popular module, and there are things I like about it too... but number 1?


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## Olgar Shiverstone

JeffB said:


> When was this poll done? I never saw it, just the 3x one.




Yeah, I completely missed this poll, though I did vote in the 3.X one.

I agree with the selections, though I could quibble about my personal favorite order.

As to 4E ... not many adventures and very few strong ones, except perhaps the Ennie-nominated and released-first-on EN World _Raiders of Oakhurst_ .


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## Morrus

NewJeffCT said:


> Was this list limited to just official TSR/WotC material?  I would have expected to have seen at least one Paizo Adventure Path on the list (Rise of the Runelords or Kingmaker?)




There is a Paizo Adventure Path on the list. _Whispering Cairn_ by Erik Mona is the first adventure in _Age of Worms_, and that's there at #11.  And a couple of third party adventures got in in the 16-20 range (above).  They had to be D&D, though.  We'll likely to a Pathfinder specific one at some point.


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## ColonelHardisson

NewJeffCT said:


> Was this list limited to just official TSR/WotC material?  I would have expected to have seen at least one Paizo Adventure Path on the list (Rise of the Runelords or Kingmaker?) otherwise, and maybe a few other non official adventures (I remember Freeport being very popular in early 3E days, but that was a long time ago now...)




Banewarrens (#18) is from Malhavoc, and Caverns of Thracia (#24) is from Judges Guild.


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## JRRNeiklot

I'd like to see the results, but I hate watching video.  I'd much rather read an article.  Just my two cents.


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## Morrus

JRRNeiklot said:


> I'd like to see the results, but I hate watching video.  I'd much rather read an article.  Just my two cents.




Plus Rappan Athuk from Necromancer Games!


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## broghammerj

Wow, the Banewarrens ranked that high????  We thought it was so bad we burned our character sheets from the adventure about 2/3rds of the way through it.  Started the grill in the middle of the night after an incredibly frustrating session.  It was 10 degrees F outside in the middle of winter.  That's how important it was to destroy them.  I was surprised the slaver series didn't get more love.  Expedition to barrier peaks.....so unique and fun.


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## NewJeffCT

Morrus said:


> There is a Paizo Adventure Path on the list. _Whispering Cairn_ by Erik Mona is the first adventure in _Age of Worms_, and that's there at #11.  And a couple of third party adventures got in in the 16-20 range (above).  They had to be D&D, though.  We'll likely to a Pathfinder specific one at some point.




Thanks - didn't look that closely, as my quick look said Whispering Cairn was set in Greyhawk, so I assumed it was WotC.


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## caudor

Looks like a good list to me.  I wonder how these choices might influence future adventures for D&D Next.  I'd like to see conversion notes for all of them.


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## Vaeron

I missed the poll as well, but I don't think my answers would have varied much from the consensus so it all balances out anyway.


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## JeffB

This list is whacked, IMO. Ravenloft? And RHOD? Both rated 10 places at least too high.

Tamoachan? A1-4... neither  on the list and The  Banewarrens is? The Banewarrens???

This list makes me a sad D&D fan, but I will get over it


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## EditorBFG

Well, let's face it, no single forum is going to be a truly representative sample of D&D fans as a whole. For example, I love Monte Cook's work, and I would expect EN World regulars to have an especially high regard for it as well, but I do not believe a poll that somehow magically had access to a true cross-section of all D&D players worldwide would rank the Banewarrens as high, partially due to sheer awareness.

It is interesting that even in top 25, 4E adventures don't pop up. I have no stake in the Edition Wars, but I did happen to take a break from fantasy games during the first few years of 4E, so I am honestly curious when I ask, are there not particular 4E adventures that a consensus of the game's fans see as being ahead of the pack?


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## was

Wow..no love for Ruins of Undermountain?..The boxed set from 2nd ed?  Spawned material in 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions?...That's a shame, I enjoyed that dungeon.


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## Hussar

Yeah, 4e certainly isn't known for its adventures.  Then again, how many 2e adventures made the list?  Virtually all of those were 1e or Basic/Expert.  And, let's be honest, most of the 4e adventures blew chunks.


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## jeffh

Any chance of getting to READ this as a text article, instead of watching it as a video? I'd usually rather do the former than the latter, especially when the video is, to be a bit blunt, this amateurish.


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## werecorpse

I missed this poll. 
Nostalgia is a potent influence, i notice the G and the GDQ series both made it into top 15 seperately, I wonder how they would go with a combined vote.


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## Wicht

Morrus said:


> There is a Paizo Adventure Path on the list. _Whispering Cairn_ by Erik Mona is the first adventure in _Age of Worms_, and that's there at #11.  And a couple of third party adventures got in in the 16-20 range (above).  They had to be D&D, though.  We'll likely to a Pathfinder specific one at some point.




Rise of the Runelords was for Dungeons and Dragons 3.5.  Was it one of the options available for voting?


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## Morrus

Wicht said:


> Rise of the Runelords was for Dungeons and Dragons 3.5.  Was it one of the options available for voting?




Yup. It was an open vote ("Choose your favourites") rather than a "select from this closed list".  Any adventure written for D&D was eligible.


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## Jhaelen

werecorpse said:


> Nostalgia is a potent influence



Oh, yes!
The final outcome isn't as 'bad' as I feared, though. I don't think #2, #4, #6, and #10 are any good, and #3, #7, #8, #13, and #14 are at best okay-ish.
As for the rest:
#1 Some innovative ideas, one of D&D's most memorable villains, and a Horror-themed module that actually works.
#5 That would have been my vote for the best adventure module (or rather mini-campaign) ever!
#9 Only one example of the UK modules that were all a lot better than the US ones.
#11 An excellent introduction adventure; a lot better than the much-acclaimed but actually completely generic #3
#12 I don't actually know this one, but at least it sounds intriguing.
#15 I tend to like everything featuring mindflayers (or aboleth), plus it's a full-fledged campaign!


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## froth

Tsojcanth is my personal #1, and not seeing The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun on here kind of makes it a sham in my book.


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## Mark CMG

The people have spoken!


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## Bedrockgames

Definitely agree with number one.


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## smaugdragon

I'm actually rather fond of Arrows of Aristemis


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## Hishen

everyone is haring nice list but i dont think all of them are good?


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