Best Dungeon adventures in back issues?

[Ebolav]

I'm trying to decide if I should use my unused account credit on back issues of dungeon, but was hesitant b/c of the crapshoot nature of it. Is there some objective list of the 'best' dungeon adventures of all time? I realize that's tough to do, but if I can pick 6 back issues, I want to make the most of it...

[James Jacobs]

Ebolav wrote:

I'm trying to decide if I should use my unused account credit on back issues of dungeon, but was hesitant b/c of the crapshoot nature of it. Is there some objective list of the 'best' dungeon adventures of all time? I realize that's tough to do, but if I can pick 6 back issues, I want to make the most of it...

Issue #116 of Dungeon had a big article about the top 30 best adventures ever, and a sidebar at the start of the article listed the top 10 Dungeon adventures ever. As selected by a pretty large panel of industry professionals. So issue #116 might be a good place to start your search for the best Dungeon Adventures ever.

Of course, posting here on these boards is a good place to start as well! :)

[Ebolav]

Thanks! But since I have to pick my issues w/o the aid of # 116, does anyone who owns that issue have the time to just put the dungeon #s that were in the sidebar list mentioned above? Thanks!

[Ian McDougall]

Ebolav wrote:

Thanks! But since I have to pick my issues w/o the aid of # 116, does anyone who owns that issue have the time to just put the dungeon #s that were in the sidebar list mentioned above? Thanks!

10. "Siege of Kratys Freehold" issue 33

9. "The Forgotten Man" issue 75
8. "The Witch Queen's Beloved" issue 100
7. "The Lady of the Mists" issue 42
6. "The Eye of Myrkul" issue 73
5. "Life's Bazaar" issue 97
4. "Into the Fire" issue 1
3. "Kingdom of the Ghouls" issue 70
2. "The Harrowing" issue 84
1. "The Mud Sorcerer's Tomb" issue 37

Of course these are only from before issue #116, and probably didn't include more recent ones because there wouldn't have been a good way to judge the reaction in so short a time. My personal favorite was probably "The Abandoned Way Station" but I don't remember the issue number.

[Jay Simpson]

Hi Ebolav. I don't visit these boards often, but I can try to help you out. I happen to have a complete collection of Dungeon from issue #1 forward. If you let me know what kinds of adventures you are interested in, I might be able to make some suggestions. I also have an MS Access database with most of my Dungeon collection listed in it, so if that would help you out, I could email it to you. Personally, my favourite issue is #75 (a 2nd edition rules issue) which includes Non-Prophet Organization (Lvl 4-7, small town and hag coven), The Amulet and the Underdark (Lvl 5-7, recover an amulet from a Duergar stronghold), The Forgotten Man (Lvl 6-8 - one of the best modules ever printed in Dungeon, not to mention a very cool castle) and Into the Nest of Vipers (Lvl 1-3, a great bandit hidey-hole in a dead magic area). Another issue I have made great use of is #10 - several of its modules are not particularly outstanding, but Threshold of Evil (Lvl 14-18, slaad, simulacra of the 21st level Wizard villain, plus the wizard himself) and Secrets of the Towers (series of 12 towers linked by teleportation - the adventure as written isn't fantastic, but the tower set-up is great) are both worth the money. As for the list in Issue 116, it's a pretty solid list. PS. - For anyone looking to buy my Dungeon collection, sorry, it's NOT for sale! Cheers. Jay Simpson

[Jeremy Mac Donald]

Ian McDougall wrote:

Ebolav wrote:

Thanks! But since I have to pick my issues w/o the aid of # 116, does anyone who owns that issue have the time to just put the dungeon #s that were in the sidebar list mentioned above? Thanks!

10. "Siege of Kratys Freehold" issue 33

9. "The Forgotten Man" issue 75
8. "The Witch Queen's Beloved" issue 100
7. "The Lady of the Mists" issue 42
6. "The Eye of Myrkul" issue 73
5. "Life's Bazaar" issue 97
4. "Into the Fire" issue 1
3. "Kingdom of the Ghouls" issue 70
2. "The Harrowing" issue 84
1. "The Mud Sorcerer's Tomb" issue 37

Of course these are only from before issue #116, and probably didn't include more recent ones because there wouldn't have been a good way to judge the reaction in so short a time. My personal favorite was probably "The Abandoned Way Station" but I don't remember the issue number.

Odd. I really can't say I agree with this list at all (of course opinions are just that). Still I would have expected more overlap. The only adventure I could say I agreed with on this list even in part would be The Mud Sorcerer's Tomb.

[Jeremy Mac Donald]

Jay Simpson wrote:

Another issue I have made great use of is #10 - several of its modules are not particularly outstanding, but Threshold of Evil (Lvl 14-18, slaad, simulacra of the 21st level Wizard villain, plus the wizard himself) and Secrets of the Towers (series of 12 towers linked by teleportation - the adventure as written isn't fantastic, but the tower set-up is great) are both worth the money.

See know your speaking my language. Issue #10 was an excellent issue. I also highly recommend issue #13.

[Ebolav]

Wow, thanks for all the feedback! I subscribed years ago, have issues 19-about 75 in my attic somewhere, just resubscribed earlier this year thanks to 3ed rules....

That list is helpful. As for the types of adventures I like, I don't think they fit into one 'type.' I like dungeon crawls, I like role playing heavy, I like atmosphere, etc...I guess the one common thread here is that they're well written, and don't require a ton of legwork beforehand to get them ready (my group is all in our 30s, with families, etc)...

Thanks again!
Kent

[Joshua Randall]

#100 Lich-Queen's Beloved is part of one of the greatest issues of Dungeon magazine ever. (In fact, it's my personal pick for the best issue of the 3rd-edition era.)

Not only do you get the referenced adventure -- in which the PCs journey to the githyanki stronghold-city on the Astral plane to confront Vlaakith herself -- you also get Polyhedron #159, in which the PCs can play as the githyanki and bring the smack-down to the Material plane.

Plus you get an update of issue #1's Flame in a new adventure (Old Embers Never Die), a Forgotten Realms adventure (Woe to Mistledale) by Skip Williams, and Beast of Burden, a sweet adventure that takes place on howdas mounted on the back of a really big monster.

For additional githyanki Incursion goodness, you'll want to pick up Dragon #309, which has James Wyatt's brilliant article on that topic.