When most people start playing Dungeons & Dragons, their first stop will be one of the many pre-written game modules created by Wizards of the Coast. These adventure modules have storylines, combat encounters, and magical items all planned out, letting everyone dive straight into the adventure. Best of all, D&D 5e has some fantastic published adventures for players and DMs to sink their teeth into.
Since the very beginning of DnD there have been published adventure modules that players and DMs covering many different themes and genres, from gothic horror, science fiction, and the classic dungeon crawl. DnD first edition had some amazing campaigns which served as the inspiration for many campaigns for future DnD editions. D&D 5e has carried on this spirit with many of its campaign modules, and the following seven are some of the very best.
7 Waterdeep: Dragon Heist & Waterdeep: Dungeon Of The Mad Mage
Waterdeep: Dragon Heist and Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage are a two-part story taking place over two campaign books. The adventures can be played separately or together, introducing players to the city of Waterdeep and its complex political landscape. Starting in Dragon Heist, players can meet famous DnD characters such as the current Blackstaff Vajra Safahr, Mirt, and author Volo, who "gifts" the party with a rundown manor to serve as a base of operations.
As tensions build in the city between warring factions, players are sent on a treasure hunt which eventually leads them to Undermountain. This massive, sprawling dungeon under Waterdeep was built by the mad mage Halaster Blackcloak and will take players all the way to level 20. The two campaigns combine to create one overarching adventure that covers all aspects of DnD in the best possible way.
6 Ghosts Of Saltmarsh
Ghosts of Saltmarsh is the second anthology of adventures and contains seven updated adventures from previous editions that were originally designed as stand-alone adventures. However, in the first chapter, there is a handy guide for DMs to help link each of them together to create a longer campaign. Covering levels one to 12, this sea-themed module sends players to the port town of Saltmarsh in the Greyhawk DnD setting, although adapting the town to a different world would be easy.
Ghosts of Saltmarsh is wonderfully spooky fun with pirates, politics, and intrigue thrown in. Ghosts of Saltmarsh also included ship-to-ship vehicle DnD combat, with players able to take their own ships into battle. Overall, Ghosts of Saltmarsh is great nautical-themed fun and the anthology format lets DMs better tailor the story to their players.
5 Out Of The Abyss
Out of the Abyss takes players to the Underdark to face the terrifying threat of the Demon Princes of the Abyss. Starting out as prisoners, players must first escape the Underdark, with the first part of the story focusing on exploration and survival. However, once the true danger becomes clear, classic DnD character Bruenor Battlehammer himself calls the party to adventure to send the Demon Princes back to the Abyss.
Out of the Abyss does a brilliant job of introducing the various denizens of the Underdark in a realistic way rather than painting the entire area as one inhabited by evildoers. Players will meet the more famous Underdark races of drow, deep gnomes, and duergar, as well as the less well-known derro and kuo-toa. However, what Out of the Abyss really excels at is atmosphere as the story knows how to convey the terrifying power of the Demon Princes and the challenges facing the party.
4 Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus
Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus places the players in the classic position of saving the world. This is a good old-fashioned DnD story of good vs. evil as the city of Elturel is dragged into the Nine Hells, seemingly dooming all its inhabitants. It's up to the players to figure out how to break an infernal deal and return Elturel to the Material Plane.
But things are not as simple as that, and once in Avernus, players will be tempted and terrified by the things and being that they find there. There is so much to love about Descent into Avernus, from soul-powered motorcycles, cute flying elephants, and Joe Manganiello’s Arkhan the Cruel, all featuring. Best of all, players can experience the aftermath of this campaign in Baldur's Gate 3, which references the DnD campaign directly.
3 Lost Mine Of Phandelver
As the campaign module for the 2014 DnD Starter Set, Lost Mine of Phandelver had the difficult task of creating an adventure for beginners. Luckily Lost Mine of Phandelver not only manages to introduce some of the main factions of fifth edition and ease players into how to play, but it does so with a great story. Dropping the players immediately into the action, the story sends them to the small town of Phandalin to discover more about the mysterious mine.
Lost Mine of Phandelver will easily take players from level one to five, teaching them about exploration, combat, and social encounters as they progress. However, that doesn't mean that this is a simple adventure, as there is enough intrigue and side plots to entice veteran DnD players too. Lost Mine of Phandelver is so beloved and iconic that it is getting an update in the form of Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk in September 2023.
2 Curse Of Strahd
Based on the Ravenloft module for first edition, Curse of Strahd adapts this gothic horror adventure perfectly for D&D 5e. Transported to the land of Barovia, of the Domains of Dread, players must face off against Count Strahd von Zarovich as his tyrannical rule. Barovia is a place full of dangers as well as allies as players navigate this cursed land in order to find a way to defeat Strahd and return home.
Curse of Strahd shows why there is a reason Strahd and the Ravenloft setting have remained firm fan favorites. Curse of Strahd is wonderfully atmospheric, with the gothic horror elements adding to the claustrophobic feel of the environment. Strahd is an iconic DnD villain, and DMs running a Curse of Strahd campaign will love roleplaying this cunning enemy as they toy with the party.
1 Tomb Of Annihilation
Written in collaboration with Adventure Time's Pendleton Ward, Tomb of Annihilation is what happens when DnD crosses paths with Jurrasic Park and Indiana Jones. Players are sent to the far-off lands of Chult to discover the source of a Deathcurse that is affecting all of Faerûn. This terrible curse has stopped all resurrection magic from working, creating an additional challenge for players as they explore the jungles of Chult.
Tomb of Annihilation has everything a DnD adventure should have: high stakes, a clear goal, tons of Forgotten Realms lore, and zombie dinosaurs. Established DnD characters such as Valindra Shadowmantle, Artus Cimber, and the power lich Acererak all make appearances to add to the depth of the adventure. The final destination for the players is the titular tomb which is based on Gary Gygax's infamous Tomb of Horrors, making sure that this Dungeons & Dragons dungeon lives up to the name Tomb of Annihilation.
