Dungeons & Dragons players who want to go on a big adventure in 5th should check out these pre-made campaigns.
Pre-made adventures in Dungeons & Dragons 5th can be a great way for new Dungeon Masters to get a feel for how to campaign. Pre-made adventures are also ideal for experienced DMs who want to try a new storytelling style or just take their players through one of the many legendary pre-made campaigns.
There are dozens of pre-made adventures for D&D, including official content from Wizards of the Coast and content shared by fan-made tools. Here are five of the best 5th adventures directly from WotC.
Curse of Strahd
Curse of Strahd takes players through Barovia, a depressing and gothic region of death and mist where the citizens are tormented and persecuted by Barovia’s vampirical ruler, Strahd. This campaign is falling apart for a number of important reasons. The setting, for one, is very different from the typical D&D fantasy land with its darker tone and cruel environment that is not always on the players’ side. The plot is also unique, as the players are not only there to kill Strahd – they are also fighting for their own survival and possibly fighting each other, depending on how things shake things out.
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Strahd is also a lot of fun for players and DMs. Strahd is an entertaining villain who can appear at any time, forcing players to stay on their toes and giving the DM some surprises to pull off during sessions. There is a lot to do Curse of Strahd, and it’s one of the most famous and beloved campaigns in Dungeons & Dragons history.
2. Baldur’s Gate: Descent in Avernus
Fans of the Baldur’s Gate video games should watch this campaign while they wait Baldur’s Gate 3s next story update. Descent in Avernus is actually considered a prelude to Baldur’s Gate 3, but what makes the adventure so striking is its length. Most pre-made campaigns only guide players through a few character levels, but Descent in Avernus will actually take level one characters up to level 13.
What is the story content of Descent in Avernus, players will enter the Nine Hells during the Blood Wars. This campaign has a very heavy metal atmosphere, and the main goal is to prevent a city from being literally dragged to Avernus. Although it is one of the more linear campaigns, DMs can still give players the freedom to explore the incredibly interesting environment of this campaign.
Storm King’s Thunder
Storm King’s Thunder is massive and takes place in its own region. The campaign book is 256 pages long and requires serious planning and dedication from a DM. The great appeal with Storm King’s Thunder is the level of detail, which is more intense than most other pre-made campaigns or adventures.
The story of Storm King’s Thunder is much more open than other adventure campaigns, but there is still a fairly clear plot. In the Storm Coast region, giants began to emerge and threatened the survival of civilization. Especially fans of Norwegian mythology will derive a lot of pleasure from this pre-made campaign.
4. Stories from the yawn portal
Stories from the gaping portal is a collection of deadly dungeons meant to challenge players with an old church’s dungeons crawling. Below is the infamous Tomb of Horrors, a well that has gained an almost legendary status Dungeons & Dragons players. Tomb of Horrors will lead players through the tomb of a Demilich, though many will not make it to the end.
There are also six other dungeons that players can run, individually or as part of a larger campaign. White Plume Mountain contains a crazy wizard ruler who creates tons of magical horrors and Sunless Citadel sends players in search of a very unique treasure. Here’s something for everyone that proves the versatility of a classic dungeon crawler.
5. Tomb of Extinction
Much like the Tomb of Horrors pit in Stories from the gaping portal, Tomb of destruction is an incredibly difficult adventure with a legendary status in the tabletop community. Tomb of destruction has references to others Dungeons & Dragons adventures, unique monsters and interesting races that keep players on their toes.
Destruction place players on the island of Chult, which is filled with tropical jungles and eventually the cruel tomb of the nine gods. What strikes this adventure is the Death Curse, which removes one of the greatest tools players have to turn fate in their favor. Resurrection period will automatically fail on this island due to the death curse, making it a wonderful adventure for players looking for a challenge in their next D&D games.
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