# Vote: The Best 3.0/3.5/D20 Adventures!



## TerraDave (May 31, 2005)

What are the great adventures of the current third edition and D20 era?


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## TerraDave (May 31, 2005)

This may seem like everything that has been released in the last 5 years...

...it is actually only a fraction of the uncounted number of adventures released since 3rd edition appeared. The choices are based on the nominations in this thread:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=133645


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## Ghostwind (May 31, 2005)

Had to give my vote to Rappan Athuk, World's Largest Dungeon and Song of Storms.


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## DaveMage (May 31, 2005)

Ghostwind said:
			
		

> Had to give my vote to Rappan Athuk, World's Largest Dungeon and Song of Storms.




Mine are similar - Rappan Athuk, WLD, and Tomb of Abysthor.  (Though I certainly am not as familiar with many others on the list as I am with my faves.)


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## MonsterMash (May 31, 2005)

It will be interesting if a poll like this was repeated in a few years time to see which ones  really stand the test of time. 

I'm sad that I've not played in or read so many of these as I'm sure all of them have things that are good, but overall great adventures are rare.


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## Glyfair (May 31, 2005)

MonsterMash said:
			
		

> It will be interesting if a poll like this was repeated in a few years time to see which ones  really stand the test of time.




I found it a tough poll because some choices might be remembered for a long time, but aren't necessarily "great adventures."

For example, I briefly played in Tegel Manor back when I began D&D (not really sure why we only went a few rooms in).  I remember the map vividly and spent a long time getting a hold of a copy.  

Looking at the adventure now, it's not very good.  Even for the time, I don't think it's good.  On the other hand there is a LOT of bits hidden in the adventure that are excellent.  I fully intend to use Tegel Manor in my campaign, but not without an almost complete overhaul.

Regardless of how good it is, I expect the World's Largest Dungeon will be remembered for a long, long time.  I wouldn't be suprised if it commands very high prices 20 years down the road.


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## Morpheus (May 31, 2005)

Glyfair said:
			
		

> Regardless of how good it is, I expect the World's Largest Dungeon will be remembered for a long, long time.  I wouldn't be suprised if it commands very high prices 20 years down the road.




It _already_ commands a high price...$100 is not chump change.


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## Lalato (May 31, 2005)

Unfortunately, my DM refuses to use published adventures because he feels that they're all dungeon crawls.  I don't agree with him, but I also don't want to DM anytime soon so there you have it.  

--sam


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## Shade (May 31, 2005)

I haven't used but a few of these, but by far my favorite 3E adventures both came from Dungeon:   The Harrowing and Maure Castle.


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## Tarondor (May 31, 2005)

With the exception of the Shackled City Adventure Path, this list ignores the many fine adventures seen in the pages of Dungeon magazine.  While there are many that I thought were fine adventures, I'd definitely put in a word for the following:

Rana Mor (#86)
Glacier Season (#87)
The Seventh Arm (#88) Loved it!
Kambranex's Machinations (#91)

There was also a great drow-based adventure by Monte Cook, the title of which escapes me at the moment.

Tarondor


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## The Shaman (May 31, 2005)

The updated version of _Lost Caverns of Thracia_ - waycoolio.


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## Ze (May 31, 2005)

Oh come on, I can't believe RttToEE has got so many votes.


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## TerraDave (May 31, 2005)

Tarondor said:
			
		

> With the exception of the Shackled City Adventure Path, this list ignores the many fine adventures seen in the pages of Dungeon magazine.  While there are many that I thought were fine adventures, I'd definitely put in a word for the following:
> 
> Rana Mor (#86)
> Glacier Season (#87)
> ...





The thread linked above talks about the criteria: basically free standing published adventures.  

A partial exception was made for Shackled City, since it will be coming out as a free standing product, which conviently a lot of people have already played


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## the Jester (May 31, 2005)

Unfortunately, I have only played, read or run about four 3e modules, so I don't feel qualified to vote on this poll.  :\


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## dratz (May 31, 2005)

I really liked 'The Standing Stones' by WOTC. It had role playing, wilderness, dungeon crawl, mystery, and it hood-winked the PC's until nearly the end.

Otherwise, the first three Freeport modules are, I believe, the 'classic' modules for 3e. They are for 3e what the Slavers or Giants were for 1st ed.

Doug.


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## LostSoul (May 31, 2005)

I also liked "3 Days to Kill."

But that may have been because of my DM.

edit: Let me also say that I think RttToEE is a good adventure, but the DM should/has to put in a lot of work to make it really shine.  The backbone is there, but the DM can flesh it out.


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## TerraDave (May 31, 2005)

I am in this position: I have put in a lot of the prelimanary work for RttToEE, and now the adventuring has begun...it will be months before I can really evaluate it, but it looks good so far!


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## TerraDave (May 31, 2005)

With about 100 votes, the top ten are:

*WotC: Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil * 
NG: Rapan Athuk (all) 
WotC: Sunless Citadel 
WotC:Forge of Fury 
WotC:City of the Spider Queen 
GR: Death in Freeport 
PZ: The Shackled City Adventure Path 
GR: Terror in Freeport 
MP:The Banewarrens 
GR: Madness in Freeport 

Return has a strong lead (and the ToE is doing well in both this poll and the 1st ed AD&D), with Rapan Athuk, Sunless Citadel and Forge of Fury all basically tied for 2nd place.


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## Breakdaddy (May 31, 2005)

Crucible of Freya is tops in my book, packing enough information into a compact space to run adventures for MONTHS. WLD is great because I can piecemeal out the individual dungeons and plop them anywhere. Lost City of Barakus kicked ass because it could be placed anywhere and linked together with your own story for literally years of gaming fun.


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## ASEO (May 31, 2005)

*The Gryphon's Legacy ROCKS!*

The Gryphon's Legacy written by Wolfgang Baur published under the mysteriously vanished Gaslight Press is one awsome adventure if you can track it down.  Sadly the empire building portion of the campaign vanished with Gaslight Press, but the adventure is top notch and makes a great base for new characters.

ASEO out


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## Tarondor (May 31, 2005)

I should say the same about "The Eldest Son", by Reaper.  Their only adventure, I think.  Excellent background and fun to play.


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## HellHound (May 31, 2005)

Tarondor said:
			
		

> There was also a great drow-based adventure by Monte Cook, the title of which escapes me at the moment.




Probably "The Harrowing", level 15 adventure against a daughter of Lolth. Very nicely done, my players -LOVED- it.

It was in issue 84, which I picked up at random at a magazine store, and which brought me back to Dungeon. I've got a 3-year sub now because of that very adventure.


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## Mjollnir (May 31, 2005)

Also "Demons&Devils" from S&S as well as "Lord of the Iron Fortress" from WotC. 
Anyway, I repeat here: Literature-based adventures now! I want to play an adventure situated in the attack to Mithral Hall by Menzoberranzan forces,... Please, producers, take note


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## Barendd Nobeard (May 31, 2005)

Tarondor said:
			
		

> With the exception of the Shackled City Adventure Path, this list ignores the many fine adventures seen in the pages of Dungeon magazine.  While there are many that I thought were fine adventures, I'd definitely put in a word for the following:
> 
> Rana Mor (#86)
> Glacier Season (#87)
> ...




Also *Tears of Twilight Hollow* (issue #90 or #92, I think?).  A great adventure.  My two-player group never finished it.  Maybe some day in the future we'll return to finish it at last....


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## Andre (May 31, 2005)

TerraDave said:
			
		

> I am in this position: I have put in a lot of the prelimanary work for RttToEE, and now the adventuring has begun...it will be months before I can really evaluate it, but it looks good so far!




/sidetrack on/

There are a number of good sites with excellent resources for running this module. Here's one with a ton of maps, handouts, a 3.5 conversion, and so on:

http://zans.clanplaid.net/

As for the adventure itself, it bogs badly in the middle (the CRM). The best option I've seen is to add a few extra adventures for the party that are not hack-n-slash. A city adventure. A mystery. Some political intrigue. Anything to break the monotony. Then you can pull the party back into the module and move on from there. Just my two cents' worth.

Also, check out the boards on Monte Cook's site. There are some great ideas on changing things up, if you're so inclined.

/sidetrack off/


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## Odhanan (May 31, 2005)

Return to ToEE, City of the Spider Queen, The Banewarrens, Rappan Athuk, WLD.


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## TerraDave (May 31, 2005)

Andre said:
			
		

> /sidetrack on/
> 
> There are a number of good sites with excellent resources for running this module. Here's one with a ton of maps, handouts, a 3.5 conversion, and so on:
> 
> ...




The boards and the link above have been a great resource...


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## cthulhu_duck (May 31, 2005)

*RttToEE: really several adventures*

WotC: Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil always seemed like several adventures in one book to me - there's the Hommlett nostalgia kick, there's the Crater Ridge, and then there's the finale.

I loved the Hommlett part - but the Crater Ridge wasn't fun for my players, nor me, and we never got to the finale.   :\


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## Blackthorne (May 31, 2005)

Cool adventures included in this poll:

RttToEE
Forge of Fury
Freeport Series
Of Sound Mind
Banewarrens
Vault of Larin Karr
Grey Citadel
Root of all Evil (with sequels)

Cool adventures not included in this poll:

The Standing Stone
Trouble at Durbenford (the best from Necromancer Games)
And, of course, tons of adventures from the pages of the mighty Dungeon Magazine. 

Not so cool adventures included in this poll:

Rappan Athuk (boring and way too deadly to be fun)
Shackled City (overrated)


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## TerraDave (May 31, 2005)

The last 100 votes have brought a shift in the rankings:

*WotC: Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil * 
WotC: Sunless Citadel 
WotC:Forge of Fury 
WotC:City of the Spider Queen 
MP:The Banewarrens 
NG: Rapan Athuk (all) 
GR: Death in Freeport 
PZ: The Shackled City Adventure Path 
GR: Terror in Freeport 
GR: Madness in Freeport 

With Rapan Athuk falling a few places. The lead of RtToEE remains solid.


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## Capellan (Jun 1, 2005)

There has been lots of cool stuff in _Dungeon_ lately, I gotta say.

_Caverns of Thracia_ is also an adventure with a lot of potential.

There would probably be more, if I took a good look at my collection.


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## TerraDave (Jun 1, 2005)

last bump


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## Altalazar (Jun 2, 2005)

Sad to say, I've played few of those (only the WotC ones, really) but those few were a blast...  I really liked Sunless and Forge and the return.


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## Asmo (Jun 2, 2005)

Another vote for Sunless and Forge....great stuff, imho.

Asmo


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## haakon1 (Jun 2, 2005)

*Three Days to Kill*

I'd add "Three Days to Kill" to the list.


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## TerraDave (Jun 2, 2005)

haakon1 said:
			
		

> I'd add "Three Days to Kill" to the list.




It was listed as a posible nomination, but no one took the bait


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