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2025-01-09 17:36:23 UTC
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Permalinkthe game, not quite 5th edition, yet decidedly not a complete restructuring
of the game. Still, with new rules come new adventures, and often, for
Wizards of the Coast, a look back at previous modules from earlier versions
of the TTRPG. Some of the best 5e adventures are lifted directly from 3.5 and
first edition, and there's no reason why this trend of restructuring old
modules will stop now.
Many existing adventure modules have official remakes for 5e, but there are
some which have been left out. Fan favorites from across the years deserve to
be experienced by new players, and including them in future books using the
revised rule set would be a great way to do that. These ten modules in
particular should get a second look in the 2024 edition of D&D.
10) Vault Of The Drow Is Overdue For An Official Redesign
Among the unadapted modules from previous editions, Vault of the Drow is one
of the most desired by fans. Originally released in 1978 for Advanced
Dungeons & Dragons, it was part of a larger series following a conflict with
Drow and Giants. It featured a huge subterranean paradise for the dark elves,
all centered around a complex temple/vault complex that the party needed to
reach.
: A lot of earlier D&D modules contain troubling content and lore, including
: racist depictions of characters and prejudiced adaptations of cultures.
: Reworked versions could provide a fairer, more three-dimensional view of
: those characters using more recently-established lore.
The module is famous for its creative setting and the puzzles contained
within it, but the lore around the Drow society itself could use some
updates. So much work has gone into giving detail and humanity to the various
cultures within D&D's worlds, and while the original module is beloved, it
lacks complex characterization for the people of this underground society.
There are a lot of opportunities for a newly released adventure to take this
setting and reinvent it, and WotC should take the chance to do so.
9) Red Hand Of Doom Puts Your Party Up Against A Warlord
The Red Hand Of Doom is another fan-favorite module, this time from 3rd
edition. This adventure saw players fighting a half-dragon warlord, Azarr
Kul, as he and his army attempted to bring forth a new age of draconic
tyranny. It was an exciting quest that involved both large-scale combat and
intense interactions with NPCs, as the players needed to gather allies in
their fight from nearby settlements.
A reworked version of The Red Hand of Doom could make the adventure more
accessible to new players and introduce ways to run large combats with the
2024 version of D&D's rules. Combat in this game has always struggled with
pacing and clunkiness when the number of combatants gets too high, even in
5e, which was supposed to simplify the rules. There need to be more concrete
and clear ways for DMs to run these sorts of encounters, and this module
would be a great place to introduce those.
8) Night Below Provides A Neat Look At The Underdark
Night Below is more widespread than the previous two modules, made up of
three separate adventures which tell one continuous story that takes place in
the Underdark. It existed for AD&D and took players from low-to-high-level,
effectively an entire campaign unto itself. It included vast worldbuilding
for the settings both above and below ground, as well as the peoples who
resided there.
This campaign is a great one for exploring Underdark societies and locations,
and is perfect for a remodel with the 2024 rule set. It even includes a plot
surrounding an aboleth, an perfectly grotesque monster that not enough people
have used in their games. It could be great as a module and source book to
introduce new Underdark monsters and subclasses themed around shadows.
7) City By The Silt Sea Sends Players Into The Ruins Of Giustenal
Dungeons & Dragons has never been limited to a single fantasy world. There's
the Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Greyhawk, Eberron, and, in the case of
this module, Dark Sun. The Dark Sun world had several adventure modules
written to fit its lore, including City by the Silt Sea, well-liked for its
design and the lore it centers around.
: While distinct in its fantasy world, most of the Dark Sun content uses the
: AD&D and the 2nd edition rule sets.
City by the Silt Sea takes place in the dilapidated city of Giustenal, full
of hidden treasures and ancient evils. It's a good module, but more
importantly, this could allow new players to experience the Dark Sun setting
for the 2024 version of D&D. It's one that hasn't seen much in the way of
official support in a while, and its blend of fantasy elements with near-
dystopian desert environments strikes a good niche.
6) Desert Of Desolation Includes Fights With Djinni And Mummies
Desert of Desolation is a compilation of three separate 1st edition modules:
Pharaoh, Oasis of the White Palm, and Lost Tomb of Martek, which go together
to create a semi-related story in an Egyptian-styled setting. It is
considered a part of the Forgotten Realms, and features some surprisingly
complex mysteries for the party to unravel as they make their way across the
desert.
The storylines of each module are compelling, from robbing a pyramid to set a
pharaoh's spirit free, to reviving a dead wizard and freeing them from an
evil Efreet, and could easily be adapted to suit the new rules. Plus, it
could explore an area of the Forgotten Realms outside Faerun, to the east on
the world map, which has not seen much attention in 5th edition or the 2024
books.
5) Age Of Worms Is A Long-Form Campaign Against A Killer Cult
Of all the modules on this list, Age of Worms is likely the longest. It
consists of twelve different adventures all centered around the same story,
and is designed to take players from first level all the way to level twenty.
Set in the Greyhawk setting, this module sees players go up against a cult
which wants to end the world as they know it. It features evil mages, undead
dragons, mind flayers, doppelgangers, and more that will have players
entertained from start to finish.
Related
: The 2024 edition of D&Ds Dungeon Masters Guide reintroduces the
: classic Greyhawk, avoiding a common pitfall of tabletop RPG settings.
Age Of Worms is a more recent creation than those from 1st edition and AD&D,
but still deserves some upkeep and attention from modern audiences. It's a
truly impressive long-form story that DMs looking for a longer campaign will
love, and many of its big bads are already present in 5th edition content,
meaning players will be familiar with these sorts of threats.
4) The Dancing Hut Of Baba Yaga Is Simple But Fun
In contrast, The Dancing Hut Of Baba Yaga is very simple. It was made for 2nd
edition and centers entirely around the titular villain and her animated
home. The module itself is full of history and backstory for the character,
and then sees players enter her hut searching for treasure and secrets.
Baba Yaga and her hut are unique as far as fantastical monsters go, and the
2024 edition of D&D could benefit by featuring her as a villain. Characters
like Vecna and Tiamat are great, but more fitting for longer campaigns with
higher-level characters. This module is meant for a shorter adventure with
less powerful players, and that is also necessary for a well-rounded game.
3) Eyes Of The Lich Queen Sends Players On A Far-Reaching Treasure Hunt
Shifting over to the Eberron setting, Eyes of the Lich Queen embraces the
combination of magic and technology that world emphasizes. It's a campaign
that acts as a competitive treasure hunt, with the party working against evil
forces to obtain a legendary magical artifact. It sends players all over the
setting looking for clues and leads, and culminates with a fight against a
powerful mage.
Not only is this a good campaign to introduce players to different parts of
Eberron, but it also includes a multitude of varying dungeons and fights
against various creatures. It's a dynamic and fun module to go through, and
one that deserves more attention than it gets.
2) Tyranny Of Dragons Deserves Another Look After Its Early Appearance In
Fifth Edition
It might seem too soon to adapt 5th edition modules, but it's worth pointing
out that it's been over a decade since some of these were published, and
their early introduction meant they were almost tests for the new version of
the game. As such, Tyranny of Dragons suffered from janky combat and
unpolished encounters. The core ideas were sound, pitting players against the
Cult of the Dragon and Tiamat herself, but their implementation left
something to be desired.
The 2024 rule-set changes present the perfect opportunity to revisit this
module and do it justice, tweaking the original fights and puzzles to make
them work more fluidly. If these new rules are truly meant to mark a new
edition of the TTRPG, then modules from 5e shouldn't be left out from being
revisited.
1) Princes Of The Apocalypse Is A Fight Against The Gods
Another early module from 5th edition, Princes of the Apocalypse saw players
fighting against four different cults, each obsessed with destroying the
world in their own specific ways. Much like Age of Worms, this is a long-form
module meant to act as a whole campaign, running from levels one to fifteen.
It was well-liked upon release but criticized for being too harsh, and while
it didn't have the same mechanical issues as Tyranny of Dragons, it felt
similar in how it was experimenting with the new rules.
While many of the rules from its supplemental source book, Elemental
Evil, have been changed in the intervening years, many ideas from
those texts are still important to the world of D&D.
While the entire campaign may not need a redesign for the 2024 rules of
Dungeons & Dragons, it would certainly be interesting to see remakes of its
dungeons and monsters to be used in modern games. While many of the rules
from its supplemental source book, Elemental Evil, have been changed in the
intervening years, many ideas from those texts are still important to the
world of D&D.
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