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 What 5th Edition adventures are the best?
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore

1419 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  00:58:31  Show Profile  Visit Charles Phipps's Homepage Send Charles Phipps a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Basically an entirely subjective thread. What are the best of the new adventures for Fifth Edition and why? What ones work best with the Forgotten Realms and how?

Thanks.

I'm getting into Fifth Edition for the first time.

My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/

HighOne
Learned Scribe

214 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  02:22:41  Show Profile Send HighOne a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Opinions vary, but Lost Mine of Phandelver (from the Starter Set) is probably the best received FR adventure for 5E overall.

The others are pretty divisive, I'd say, in that all have a fair number of supporters and detractors. I don't even want to list my personal favorites, because I know my list will be completely different from everyone else's.
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore

1419 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  02:25:09  Show Profile  Visit Charles Phipps's Homepage Send Charles Phipps a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by HighOne

Opinions vary, but Lost Mine of Phandelver (from the Starter Set) is probably the best received FR adventure for 5E overall.

The others are pretty divisive, I'd say, in that all have a fair number of supporters and detractors. I don't even want to list my personal favorites, because I know my list will be completely different from everyone else's.



Well I'd be happy to hear what you think is awesome and not.

My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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Eldacar
Senior Scribe

438 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  03:05:50  Show Profile Send Eldacar a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Charles Phipps

Basically an entirely subjective thread. What are the best of the new adventures for Fifth Edition and why? What ones work best with the Forgotten Realms and how?

Thanks.

I'm getting into Fifth Edition for the first time.


Lost Mines of Phandelver is a good start. I think for new 5e people and players, it’s generally considered to be fairly universally a decent introduction to at least the system and some of the setting.

Going down the list, I will note some things I found with each of the things on the list, but I would hasten to note that this is not by any means exhaustive, nor is it an indication of my full or total thoughts. It’s just a few things that come to mind as I think about each one:

- Dragon Heist has some material in Waterdeep, as well as a gazetteer. Some people may dislike eventualities that have occurred (Cassalanters have, shall we say, fallen far), and frankly Jarlaxle’s involvement was a bit beyond the pale. Waterdeep isn’t San Francisco/Seattle. But he can be cut out of it without too much trouble.

- Storm King’s Thunder does have a very broad middle section which basically gives a summary of a wide range of places across the North, akin to a gazetteer. It isn’t anything like a magnifying glass, perhaps, but it is enough to update and discuss or show things. Personally I find it better for information than as an adventure that doesn’t even really need the overarching story. For example, PCs who help Citadel Adbar might get a tower. Just infiltrate a fire giant fortress, get some things done, and get out. Easy setup for an adventure without needing the whole Ordning business.

- Tomb of Annihilation, I liked the Chult material more than I did the Tomb of the Nine Gods. Neither bad nor good, for me. As an adventure there are issues, Artus Cimber and Dragonbait potentially outshining the PCs and throwing around the Ring of Winter being one example. The death curse is annoying as hell as a player.

- Descent Into Avernus has some Baldur’s Gate material, as well as a reasonably detailed gazetteer for it. That being said, I have always had a very clear picture in my head of the Gate, largely derived from my playing the Baldur’s Gate games almost religiously as a child (they were my introduction to Forgotten Realms). I get more out of using the game material, and also the 3rd party “Heroes of Baldur’s Gate” (highly recommend if you liked the games), than I do just the gazetteer, but having Descent, Heroes, and Minsc and Boo’s Journal of Villainy has actually given quite a picture of the area. The actual Avernus stuff I can take or leave.

- Out of the Abyss is I think considered fairly strong? Honestly, I don’t know what the general opinion of it is among players. It has a reasonable amount of Underdark material..

"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster
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Thuumhammer
Acolyte

Canada
19 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  06:09:02  Show Profile Send Thuumhammer a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'll recommend Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. You get 23 well designed, interesting large maps (love Tim Hartin's work). The book provides a lot of crunch, but not much lore. You'll need to provide most of the story/character components. This makes the maps easy to pull out and use elsewhere. I recently took the "Obstacle Course" map and re-skinned it as a ruined Netherese teleportation lab that had been occupied by mindflayers; currently in the process of excavating its secrets.

If you want to actually run Undermountain you'll probably need to supplement it with some additional lore. Fortunately Candlekeep & the FR Wiki has plenty of that. And Ruins of Undermountain can always help.

Ghosts of Saltmarsh looks good, but I haven't run any of the adventures to provide further comment.

Currently living in a version of 1372DR that operates under 5e mechanics. Strange indeed!
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Eldacar
Senior Scribe

438 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  12:58:09  Show Profile Send Eldacar a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Thuumhammer

Ghosts of Saltmarsh looks good, but I haven't run any of the adventures to provide further comment.


I don't think it's necessarily FR-specific, but as a set of small adventures it's considered good for new DMs and players, and is well-put together. But if you're looking for more "meat" on the bone, then you'll probably be shopping elsewhere.

"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  14:46:20  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Thuumhammer

I'll recommend Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. You get 23 well designed, interesting large maps (love Tim Hartin's work). The book provides a lot of crunch, but not much lore. You'll need to provide most of the story/character components. This makes the maps easy to pull out and use elsewhere. I recently took the "Obstacle Course" map and re-skinned it as a ruined Netherese teleportation lab that had been occupied by mindflayers; currently in the process of excavating its secrets.



Some of those maps are just smaller (MUCH smaller) versions of the originals. They basically left out anything that couldn't fit on a single, one-page map; in essence, they shrank Undermountain. And with the adventure's mechanism* of keeping characters on a level until they're strong enough to continue, they made it less deadly.

*And oh gods, do I have issues with how they did this!

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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore

1419 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  15:11:01  Show Profile  Visit Charles Phipps's Homepage Send Charles Phipps a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I was sadly the victim of false expectations with Murder in Baldur's Gate. I was very excited about picking up that module to find out how the Lord of Murder returned to life and very disappointed to find that the issue of the Last Bhaalspawn is something that only occupies a single short scene and which provides no possibilities if the players prevent them from killing one another. Furthermore, Bhaal just starts raising hell behind the scenes which really could have been done with any other person.

Plus it implies IMOEN IS DEAD.

WHICH MUST NOT STAND.

My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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TomCosta
Forgotten Realms Designer

USA
948 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  21:27:27  Show Profile Send TomCosta a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I think the 5e adventures from a play perspective (not necessarily a lore perspective) are generally solid. I'm fond of the sandbox a bit, so I was drawn to Out of the Abyss, Storm King's Thunder, and Tomb of Annihilation. Lost Mines of Phandelver is a solid starting adventure, and I like it, but I don't think I like it as much as most (I like that the bigger adventures get more epic). I also enjoyed Dragon Heist, but found Dungeon of the Mad Mage to be a little too much of one brawl after the other. Descent into Avernus has a slow start and then a great middle that gets a little too bogged down in fetch quests to my liking but ends strong. I've found the anthology adventures generally less satisfying maybe because of the loose, if any, connective tissue, so Tales from the Yawning Portal, Ghosts of Saltmarsh (tons of missed opportunities to really update these adventures so you get a different variety of magic items for example, or propose stronger connections without making actual changes to the original's intent), and Candlekeep Mysteries.
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Eldacar
Senior Scribe

438 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  21:32:28  Show Profile Send Eldacar a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Charles Phipps

I was sadly the victim of false expectations with Murder in Baldur's Gate. I was very excited about picking up that module to find out how the Lord of Murder returned to life and very disappointed to find that the issue of the Last Bhaalspawn is something that only occupies a single short scene and which provides no possibilities if the players prevent them from killing one another. Furthermore, Bhaal just starts raising hell behind the scenes which really could have been done with any other person.

Plus it implies IMOEN IS DEAD.

WHICH MUST NOT STAND.



I think you might like Heroes of Baldur’s Gate, as well as Minsc and Boo’s Journal of Villainy. The latter seems tentatively canon albeit “farmed out” to mostly outside people on the DM’s guild, and to my immediate recollection (without checking it) notes a way that Imoen can have survived her death, while losing her Bhaalspawn soul.

If you don’t like the latter though, I think you very much would enjoy the former, at least in the sense of it featuring many of the characters from those games. It even has a table discussing who lived and who died into the 5e era for DMs who want to set the adventure there.

"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore

1419 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  21:38:38  Show Profile  Visit Charles Phipps's Homepage Send Charles Phipps a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I'm intrigued by Descent into Avernus but I'm more storytelling based than encounters so the appeal of trying to win a Deva back to the side of good from Hell seems like something I'd enjoy, cute little flying elephant or not.

I'd probably change around some elements and motivations, though.

1. Make it Baldur's Gate itself that gets sent to Avernus because GO BIG OR GO HOME.

2. Zariel brought the city to Avernus as part of a plan to ascend to godhood. My reasoning? Zariel will show up and "defend" the city's inhabitants from the Devils and demons around them. The price? They worship her. Which they ABSOLUTELY WILL. This is actually just an excuse for the majority of Baldur's Gate's population to still be alive at the end.

My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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Eldacar
Senior Scribe

438 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  22:27:11  Show Profile Send Eldacar a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Charles Phipps

1. Make it Baldur's Gate itself that gets sent to Avernus because GO BIG OR GO HOME.

2. Zariel brought the city to Avernus as part of a plan to ascend to godhood. My reasoning? Zariel will show up and "defend" the city's inhabitants from the Devils and demons around them. The price? They worship her. Which they ABSOLUTELY WILL. This is actually just an excuse for the majority of Baldur's Gate's population to still be alive at the end.


These would take quite a bit of reworking to the adventure as presented - it is related to how Elturel was taken, mainly. But if that’s your goal then that’s your goal, it’s your table after all. I prefer to leave Baldur’s Gate intact so I can do other things with it in my games.

"The Wild Mages I have met exhibit a startling disregard for common sense, and are often meddling with powers far beyond their own control." ~Volo
"Not unlike a certain travelogue author with whom I am unfortunately acquainted." ~Elminster
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore

1419 Posts

Posted - 07 Mar 2022 :  23:02:47  Show Profile  Visit Charles Phipps's Homepage Send Charles Phipps a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
These would take quite a bit of reworking to the adventure as presented - it is related to how Elturel was taken, mainly. But if that’s your goal then that’s your goal, it’s your table after all. I prefer to leave Baldur’s Gate intact so I can do other things with it in my games.


I mean, Baldur's Gate will be returned if the PCs return.

And if it isn't?

Well, the players won't be there to notice.

:)

My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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Thuumhammer
Acolyte

Canada
19 Posts

Posted - 08 Mar 2022 :  01:28:58  Show Profile Send Thuumhammer a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Thuumhammer

I'll recommend Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage. You get 23 well designed, interesting large maps (love Tim Hartin's work). The book provides a lot of crunch, but not much lore. You'll need to provide most of the story/character components. This makes the maps easy to pull out and use elsewhere. I recently took the "Obstacle Course" map and re-skinned it as a ruined Netherese teleportation lab that had been occupied by mindflayers; currently in the process of excavating its secrets.



Some of those maps are just smaller (MUCH smaller) versions of the originals. They basically left out anything that couldn't fit on a single, one-page map; in essence, they shrank Undermountain. And with the adventure's mechanism* of keeping characters on a level until they're strong enough to continue, they made it less deadly.

*And oh gods, do I have issues with how they did this!



I actually prefer the "smaller" maps as they're more manageable to run. I use quotations around smaller because they're still quite large. Manageable maps mean that players don't get as fatigued exploring the same area continuously, and make it easier to cut and paste the maps into other areas. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better value/$ 5e product, given the amount of dungeons you get.

I agree that the Jhesiyra Kestellharp mechanic is dumb, and simply don't use it in my game. It's a simple enough mechanic to bypass that it doesn't really factor into my opinion of the product.

Currently living in a version of 1372DR that operates under 5e mechanics. Strange indeed!
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
Moderator

USA
36779 Posts

Posted - 08 Mar 2022 :  02:44:57  Show Profile Send Wooly Rupert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Thuumhammer


I agree that the Jhesiyra Kestellharp mechanic is dumb, and simply don't use it in my game. It's a simple enough mechanic to bypass that it doesn't really factor into my opinion of the product.



The mechanic is bad enough, but it's the lore aspect that really irritates me. Sure, Jhesiyra Kestellharp disappeared from mortal ken, and one of the rumors was that Halaster had grabbed her -- but there were also two witnesses that saw her carried off in her own spellcasting. I personally don't see why Halaster would have troubled himself to kidnap her, and I really don't see why Mystra would have allowed one of her Magisters to be imprisoned for centuries, especially after she personally freed Halaster from his madness.

Using her that way seems to be another of WotC's examples of "hey, here's a random bit of canon that's kinda-sorta related to what we're doing here... It's not what we need, so let's utterly mangle it into something unrecognizable and then use it!" It feels like they're trying to namedrop for the fans of older material, but using the name is all they really care about.

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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com
-- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct

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Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2441 Posts

Posted - 08 Mar 2022 :  02:59:49  Show Profile Send Zeromaru X a Private Message  Reply with Quote
From what I've read, the most well-regarded ones (FR only, I mean) are Lost Mines of Phandelver and its follow up Dragon of Icespire Peak. The others have a mixed reception. Not FR, Curse of Strahd is considered one of the best ones.

Also, Murder in Baldur's Gate actually isn't is a 5e adventure. It is a D&D Next adventure. D&D Next was 5e's test phase, and it can be considered its own thing since some rules are different. It has also its own lore concepts and consistency that were later... altered?/discarded in the actual 5e products.

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...

Edited by - Zeromaru X on 08 Mar 2022 03:11:03
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Charles Phipps
Master of Realmslore

1419 Posts

Posted - 09 Mar 2022 :  03:08:19  Show Profile  Visit Charles Phipps's Homepage Send Charles Phipps a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I picked up Minsc and Boo's Journal of Villainy because of this.

Also the comic books.

My Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blogspot.com/
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Diffan
Great Reader

USA
4425 Posts

Posted - 31 May 2022 :  23:22:54  Show Profile Send Diffan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Having run a few of them:

I really liked Murder in Baldur's Gate as it deals a lot with the politics and political climate of what's going on in and around the city, not just the pressing matter of Bhal's return. The influx of refugees from the surrounding areas and creating an almost 'second' city outside of Baldur's Gate proper provides the PCs with a lot more to do and handle than just the overall plot. Not to mention each of the dukes vying for power within the city itself. Last, but not least, is the fact that you can run MiBG with 3.5, 4e, or 5e (albeit with a slight tweak) rulesets.

Another set of intriguing adventures is the Lost Tales of Myth Drannor which provides the group with several level-appropriate adventures within the dangerous forest. The adventures are quick and simple, but provide a great way to start a bigger adventure within the elven realm, especially if you incorporate the events of The Herald novel.

I was a player in Tyranny of Dragons (meh), Storm Kings Thunder but that sort of devolved into us going to White Plume Mountain (also, meh) and we started playing Curse of Strhad which we put on hiatus since we're all but dead and a TPK seems eminent. Also also, meh. Maybe it's the DM (because he ran all 3) or it could be a combination of a few things but overall those were adventures that I could pass on and not be bothered by. Some consistency on his part would've also be much appreciated too, which continues to be lacking. But I digress.

If I were to look at The Yawning Portal book, I'd definitely re-run The Sunless Citadel and do what I did when I ran it using 3.5 - Make it one of the dungeons of the Barony of the Great Oak in the Border Kingdoms then use the 5e Border Kingdoms supplement to expand upon it and make a grand campaign.

I've heard
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore

USA
1151 Posts

Posted - 08 Jun 2022 :  22:24:50  Show Profile  Visit Seethyr's Homepage Send Seethyr a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Big big fan of Rime of the Frostmaiden despite the bizarre depowering of an important goddess. It scratched that cold lands itch, had a Netheril ruin to explore, did a great job detailing the North and had my brain working overtime thinking about what Ostorian ruins might be under the sea. It was almost a lore book to me.

Follow the Maztica (Aztec/Maya) and Anchorome (Indigenous North America) Campaigns on DMsGuild!

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