D&D: Five of the Best Adventures in 5E
Now that WotC is ready to launch into a new ruleset with the upcoming Player’s Handbook, here’s a look at five of the best adventures from 5E (2014).
D&D 5E adventures, especially those published by WotC are a little infamous for being somewhat disconnected from the typical player experience. In its defense, some of the adventures were written before the rules were finished cooking, looking at you Princes of the Apocalypse. But while there might be some adventures with encounters deadly enough to wipe out a party where the DM is mean enough to run the encounter exactly as written because that’s just what you do, there have been some adventures that hold a special place in players’ hearts.
So today we’re looking back at some of the best ones written before the new Player’s Handbook. The good news is, they should still be mostly compatible. But your mileage may vary.
Curse of Strahd
Curse of Strahd is probably the most beloved of the 5th Edition Adventures. And it’s probably the reason that WotC spent so much time making sure that you could keep playing Curse of Strahd under the 5.5E ruleset. This one adventure module keeps players coming back, brings new players in, and represents just how gothic a game of D&D can get and still be fun.
There are many reasons to love this adventure, not the least of which is the compelling villain, Strahd von Zarovich. Or the spooky atmosphere. Or the Death House or all the werewolves. It’s an adventure so nice they released it twice, once in a collectible coffin box. Because, you know, vampires.
With its blend of roleplaying and a few memorable combat encounters, this remains WotC’s most popular adventure by many different metrics.
Odyssey of the Dragonlords
You might not have heard of Odysseys of the Dragonlords, but it has heard of you. Or something. This adventure was written by Arcanum Worlds, aka James Ohlen (of BioWare when it was real good fame) and friends, who now head up the WotC-owned studio working on Exodus.
Odysseys of the Dragonlords is more than an adventure. It is an epic campaign. Epic in every sense of the word. This puts you in a campaign where you are playing in a world inspired by myths. Ancient Greek myths and literature, no less. What really makes it sing is the structure of the campaign. There are clear goals that escalate in unfolding majesty, along with several mechanics that make the setting feel larger than life. Oaths sworn have power, there are new mechanics that add a mythic flavor and more player options as you become a Dragonlord and that actually means something. It is well worth a look if you want to see how you can credibly stretch the bounds of the 5E ruleset.
Pathfinder: Kingmaker for 5E
Paizo makes some of the best D&D adventures out there. That’s how they got their start, and if recent releases are anything to go by, they won’t be stopping any time soon. Kingmaker is one of those legendary adventure paths that feels almost like an urban legend. You play as a party who establishes their own kingdom (or whatever you decide on) and runs it in these wildlands.
And it just goes from there. When this originally came out it was one of the most beloved adventure paths, and not long ago, Paizo released a new version of it, for both Pathfinder 2E and for 5E D&D. If you can find it, you can play Kingmaker and get the full experience. Learn just how uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.
Chains of Asmodeus
Chains of Asmodeus is the answer to what happens if you cross Dante’s Inferno with D&D. This book came out of absolutely nowhere late last year and took the playerbase by storm. Another Arcanum Worlds production, this hellish book dares to give stats to Asmodeus, but even then he’ll probably still kill you.
It also details every layer of the nine hells, giving them character and detail that you won’t find anywhere else. There are hellish items which bear curses, there are backgrounds that put player characters front and center in the adventure, in ways that few other modules manage. It’s just an excellent module/setting book and can readily take you into some deeper places in D&Ds lore.
The Lost Mine of Phandelver
Finally, we have what may well be D&D’s best starter adventure. The adventure so nice they released it thrice. You won’t find it on its own anymore (at least not without looking a little harder), but even in the new Phandelver and Below: the Shattered Obelisk, the adventure still stands as one of the greatest intros to D&D.
The sleepy town of Phandalin, tucked away on the Sword Coast has seen many an adventurer begin their career looking for the secrets of Wave Echo Cavern. There’s a reason this one works so well. It has something for new players to try and do, whatever they might enjoy about D&D, it’s here. Fights with goblins, a parley with bandits, a whole village to explore. You name it? It’s likely here.
What are some of your favorite adventures from 5th Edition?
