Cover art for the 5th edition Dungeon Master’s Guide. Image: Tyler Jacobsen/Wizards of the Coast
So, you want to play Dungeons and Dragons, but you don’t know where to start? Or you’ve been playing for a while and don’t have time to make your own campaign? Here is a list of some of the best D&D 5E modules available now.
D&D can be overly complicated for new DMs. Even if you are not new, DMing can be very time-consuming, spending hours creating something for your players to just avoid it.
This is where modules or adventures come into play. These are professionally made to create the best experience for the players and the DM. These will provide new DM’s with a great framework to show them how the game works. They also help prepare them to write their own campaign. Plus, with new monsters and mechanics, they are even great for experienced DM’s to run. Enjoy our top picks of the best D&D 5E modules.
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden is one of the latest offerings from Wizards of the Coast. Taking place in the legendary Icewind Dale, the main themes of this module are isolation, paranoia, and secrecy. Your players will have to deal with environmental elements, like snowstorms and avalanches, on top of the rest of the normal D&D tropes like battles, monsters, villains, etc.
With the most stat blocks ever offered by Wizards of the Coast, numbering 50, it is basically a small monster manual. Add in that it can be played as a bunch of mini-adventures or as an overarching story, then you have got one of the best modules out right now, coming in at a whopping 320 pages.
Stats:
Pages: 320 pages
Published: September 15, 2020
Levels: 1 – 12
Synopsis:
Beneath the unyielding night sky, you stand before a towering glacier and recite an ancient rhyme, causing a crack to form in the great wall of ice. Beyond this yawning fissure, the Caves of Hunger await. And past this icy dungeon is a secret so old and terrifying that few dare speak of it. The mad wizards of the Arcane Brotherhood long to possess that which the god of winter’s wrath has so coldly preserved—as do you! What fantastic secrets and treasures are entombed in the sunless heart of the glacier, and what will their discovery mean for the denizens of Icewind Dale? Can you save Ten-Towns from the Frostmaiden’s everlasting night?
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden is a tale of dark terror that revisits the forlorn, flickering candlelights of civilization known as Ten-Towns and sheds light on the many bone-chilling locations that surround these frontier settlements.
The Curse of Strahd
The Curse of Strahd is one of the most famous adventures in Dungeons and Dragons, originally written in 1983 by Laura Hickman and Tracy Hickman. Dragonlance, anybody? Reworked for D&D 5E back in 2016, it is still one of the best money can buy.
This horror campaign will keep your players on their toes the entire time. With good story hooks to lock your players in, The Curse of Strahd will keep delivering every session. One of the cooler parts of this adventure is the custom card deck (sold separately), which you use to make card readings that affect the campaign’s storyline. Of course, you can also use a regular deck if you don’t feel like spending the money.
One of the best parts of this campaign setting is the absolutely fantastic villain, Count Strahd von Zarovich. He is truly one of the best villains Dungeons and Dragons has ever written. As a DM, running him is an absolute joy. When he enters a room, your players will panic every time. Even though this is one of the older books on the list, its 256 pages still hold up to any of the new campaigns.
Stats:
Pages: 256 pages
Published: March 15, 2016
Levels: 1 – 10
Synopsis:
Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The wind’s howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind fills the midnight air. The master of Castle Ravenloft is having guests for dinner—and you are invited.
Waterdeep Dragon Heist
Waterdeep Dragon Heist is one of the more unique adventures Wizards of the Coast has made for D&D 5E. The themes are not your normal hack and slash but subtlety in detective work, which will encourage your players to play D&D in a way they never have before.
One of the best things about this adventure is that the DM can choose the villain based on the season. You can also choose to change the main villain causing one of those pull-the-rug-out from under your party moments. This makes this adventure very unique.
You also get a chance to meet some of the most famous people in the forgotten realms including, Volothamp Geddarm (Volo’s Guide to Monsters), Xanathar (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything), and Jarlaxle the swashbuckling drow, just to name a few. If you are a fan of the Forgotten Realms, you will be nerding out over their appearances.
Throw in interesting city encounters, the lure of a great treasure, and of course heist, and you have got the makings of a great adventure for your group.
Stats:
Pages: 256 pages
Published: September 18, 2018
Levels: 1 – 5
Synopsis:
WELCOME TO WATERDEEP! A fantastic treasure trove is yours for the taking in this adventure for the world’s greatest roleplaying game. Famed explorer Volothamp Geddarm needs you to complete a simple quest. Thus begins a mad romp through the wards of Waterdeep as you uncover a villainous plot involving some of the city’s most influential figures. A grand urban caper awaits you. Pit your skill and bravado against villains the likes of which you’ve never faced before, and let the dragon hunt begin!
The Rise of Tiamat
The Rise of Tiamat is a great adventure for DMs and players who are fans of high fantasy. Save the world from the dragon queen and her evil chromatic dragons. With shades of Lord of the Rings and Dragonlance, what else do you need to play D&D.
The main themes of this adventure are negotiation and diplomacy. Your party deals with end-of-the-world type stuff, which involves a great many people, rulers, and even good dragons. Make sure you have at least a few players that are good at role-playing. You will need them.
Rise of Tiamat is set up by Horde of the Dragon Queen. Your PCs will need to have played it, or at least you will need to have weaved some of its stories into your homebrew. This will really help establish the dragon cult and the gravity of the situation. This campaign has one of the best boss fights in all of D&D 5E. Your players will battle against Tiamat the Dragon Queen herself. Add all of this, and you have the necessary components for an epic D&D campaign for both players and DMs.
Stats:
Pages: 96 pages
Published: November 4, 2014
Levels: 8 – 15
Synopsis:
The Cult of the Dragon leads the charge in an unholy crusade to bring Tiamat back to the Realms, and the situation grows more perilous for good people with each passing moment. The battle becomes increasingly political as opportunities to gather allies and gain advantage present themselves. From Waterdeep to the Sea of Moving Ice to Thay, it is a race against Evil. Succeed or succumb to the oppression of draconic tyranny. Win or lose, things will never be the same again.
Storm King’s Thunder
In Storm King’s Thunder, when the God of the giants, Annam the All-Father, decides to shatter the Ordning (a divinely imposed hierarchy) due to the giant’s complacency, giant society then begins to compete for their god’s approval and to change their place in the hierarchy.
Your party will be stuck between giants, a dragon, and a hard place, the hard place being a Kraken. Yep, a Kraken. Add to it that this adventure is a massive sandbox for your players, and you’ve got a fun campaign brewing.
This campaign has everything from political intrigue, massive fights and grand magical items for your players. Factor in interesting mechanics like a giant being able to pick up a PC and throw them 60 ft. The general themes are glory, opportunity, chaos, and treachery. This does follow the events of The Rise of Tiamat. You don’t have to run Tiamat before, but it can help you give some context to the world.
Stats:
Pages: 256 pages
Published: September 6, 2016
Levels: 1 – 11+
Synopsis:
Giants have emerged from their strongholds to threaten civilization as never before. Hill giants are stealing all the grain and livestock they can, while stone giants have been scouring settlements that have been around forever. Fire giants are press-ganging the small folk into the desert, while frost giant longships have been pillaging along the Sword Coast. Even the elusive cloud giants have been witnessed, their wondrous floating cities appearing above Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate. Where is the storm giant King Hekaton, who is tasked with keeping order among the giants?
The humans, dwarves, elves, and other small folk of the Sword Coast will be crushed underfoot by the onslaught of these giant foes. The only chance at survival is for the small folk to work together to investigate this invasion and harness the power of rune magic, the giants’ weapon against their ancient enemies, the dragons. The only way the people of Faerun can restore order is to use the giants’ own power against them.
Tales of the Yawning Portal
Tales of the Yawning Portal is not exactly a prebuilt adventure but a collection of some of the classic modules from back in the day. If you are feeling a little nostalgic, this is a book for you.
DMs can use this book to supplement some dungeons in a homebrew campaign. Here’s a list of all of the dungeons included modified to work for 5E.
This is a great resource for DMs either to draw on for inspiration or to use directly. Plus, who doesn’t like a little nostalgia?
Stats:
Pages: 248 pages
Published: April 4, 2017
Levels: 1 – 15+
Synopsis:
When the shadows grow long in Waterdeep and the fireplace in the taproom of the Yawning Portal dims to a deep crimson glow, adventurers from across the Forgotten Realms, and even from other worlds, spin tales and spread rumors of dark dungeons and lost treasures. Some of the yarns overheard by Durnan, the barkeep of the Yawning Portal, are inspired by places and events in far-flung lands from across the D&D multiverse, and these tales have been collected into a single volume.
Premade adventures are one of the easiest ways to get into playing D&D quickly. All you need is a basic understanding of the rules, and you are ready to go. Anytime anyone talks to me about wanting to start playing, I always tell them they should start with a premade. Not only is it fast, but it is also a good way to get the best experience out of your first time playing or DMing.
Nonofficial premade adventures/modules
There are a few sites where you can get self-published adventures. These are fan-made and usually come in the form of a digital download. This is a good way to find unique premade comedies, mysteries, festive, and family-oriented adventures. Coming in at a lower price, ranging from free to $20 and up, they are worth looking at. The one thing to remember is that these are not all professionally made, so do not expect to find the same quality as in the above books. I’ve used quite a few and prefer the dmsguild.com.
Things to look for in a good module.
- Story – Make sure that whatever module you decide to use has a story that you like and want to tell. DMs are storytellers, and you need to be as interested as your players.
- Table of contents – Most adventures are not small, and having a good table of contents will help you find what you are looking for quickly.
- Compelling NPC’s – Having NPC’s that your players have strong feelings about, whether hatred or love, is important to drive the story. They allow your players to become invested in them and their fates.
- Stat blocks – You always want to look for good stat blocks that are easy to read and make sense. This will allow you to run battle quickly and efficiently.
- Good artwork – When words are not enough, there’s nothing like a good picture to be able to show your players to really immerse them in the world.
- Maps – Quality maps will allow you to understand the lay of the land just in case one of your players randomly asks you, “What’s to the north?”
- Dungeons – There’s nothing like a dungeon with good traps, interesting mechanics, and fun fights.
Whether it is your first time playing or your 100th, premade adventures are a viable option for creating your own campaign. The ones we listed here are professionally written, interesting, and a whole lot of fun, which is why we think they’re among the best D&D 5E modules available. Pick up one of these today and begin playing as soon as possible, knowing what you are presenting to your players is one of the best modules out right now. Now go roll some dice, fight some goblins, and save the world.