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Adventurers-for-Hire: A D&D Campaign of Top-Rated Modules
Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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In updating my list of the Greatest D&D Modules of All Time, I noticed that several potential campaigns lie embedded within these modules and that some modules probably work better with others.
The adventure modules on this list are not only among the greatest of all time but also share the common theme of sending the party on a discrete mission. Saving a village, rescuing stolen items, investigating strange border skirmishes--these are the types of goals the party will work toward. Whether you've got a group of do-gooders or hardened mercenaries, this series of adventures will keep them focused without having to railroad them through an epic plot.
The base modules suggested here cost about $80 total (plus shipping) and will progress the PCs from 1st to nearly 20th level. Although most of the modules could be placed anywhere, one of them (X13) requires the PCs to be near a specific setting, the Kingdom of Vestland. The DM may wish to use GAZ7 The Northern Reaches, which details Vestland, as a sourcebook for the entire campaign.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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This versatile introductory mini-campaign should provide plenty of adventuring opportunities for low-level characters. If the party has chosen to explore the haunted house or journey to Orlane, then they will probably be interested in the mission-driven campaign track below. If they preferred open exploration of Restenford, the Caves of Chaos, and other local areas, then you might want to send them to the Forbidden Isles instead.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Total Levels 28 (3.5e)
This classic adventures sends the party on a mission to retrieve a stolen artifact from the fearsome White Plume Mountain. It's free if you're using D&D 3.5e or a compatible game. For others, it is just $5 (plus shipping) on Amazon.com.
Alternative: The Curse of Xanathon (TL 35 - 40, B/X; $5) is a fairly well-regarded module that actually links up with the Crown of Ancient Glory (below).
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Total Levels 40, 3e
Currently unrated here on GeekDo, To Stand on Hallowed Ground received three excellent reviews on RPG.net and is the eighth-highest rated D&D adventure of all time on that site. The $3 module includes two adventures, the second of which is of interest for this campaign, as the PCs are sent on a mission to defeat a dangerous cult.
Alternative: The Acceptance of Fate (TL 40 - 42, 3e) is another mission-driven adventure for parties of around the same strength as what's expected for To Stand on Hallowed Ground. The module received decent reviews on RPG.net, though nobody's rated it here on GeekDo. It costs a mere $1 on Amazon.com.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Total Levels 40, 50, and 60; 3e
Demons and Devils is a $12 module that provides three small adventures for PCs of levels 9, 11, and 13 and can fit into just about any campaign. However, as a series of quests, it fits best into this mission-driven campaign. Although it lacks ratings on both GeekDo and RPG.net, it receives universally positive reviews from the latter. At essentially $4 per adventure, there's little reason not to take the dive, especially with a free expansion that adds material for the journeys to the module's dungeons. After playing, post a rating so we can find out if the experience lives up to its rave reviews.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Total Levels 50 - 56 (B/X)
This $18 module has the PCs rescue a kingdom from impending demise.
One challenge with putting this adventure on this list is that it might be hard to incorporate into your campaign. Most of these adventures are situated somewhere in the World of Greyhawk, making that a nice default setting. While the rest of the modules are generic enough to be placed anywhere, including Greyhawk, X13's grand scope could make it difficult to find a spot for it on Oerth.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Total Levels 72 (2e)
This $13 adventure for PCs of levels 9 to 13 (2e) starts when the characters are hired to infiltrate a dangerous city to stop a heinous plot.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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The Expedition to the Barrier Peaks ($10) sends the PCs on a mission to investigate what ends up being a crashed space ship. On its face, this classic module doesn't seem like it's for particularly high level PCs, until you realize it was designed for a whopping 10 to 15 member party with total levels somewhere between 75 and 100. Even if you're using a more recent edition with somewhat more powerful characters, a diminished party size probably requires your PCs to be at least 15th level.
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Total Levels 75 - 91, 2e
The $7 Axe of the Dwarvish Lords is the fifth-highest ranked D&D module on RPG.net, though it's yet to rank here on GeekDo. This book is designed as a mini-campaign for 5 to 7 characters of levels 13 to 15.
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Posted Wed Feb 3, 2010 12:38 am