Best single dungeon from any AP?

[Matrix Sorcica]

There's been a lot of threads about the single best/favorite installments (chapters) of the APs, but what is in your opinion the single best dungeon - be it an actual dungeon, wizard tower, bad guy HQ or whatever - from any AP, and why?

[Jenner2057]

As a player, the most fun that really stands out for me in a dungeon was probably "The Crow" from Shards of Sin book 1.
-It was an interesting location (a bridge pylon? That's certainly unique).
-It had multiple ways up and down and through the dungeon.
-A decent number of quests and side quests.
-And interesting and interconnected encounters.
We just had a blast trying to navigate and clear that dungeon.

As a DM... I'll have to put some thought into which dungeons I've had the most fun running.

[Cori Marie]

The Vivified Labyrinth in Curse of the Crimson Throne: Escape from Old Korvosa. Not a lot of creatures, but a very fun and deadly dungeon all the same.

[Bellona]

From a GMing point of view, CotCT's Vivified Labyrinth came to mind immediately, so +1 for that one. :)

[DM_aka_Dudemeister]

Iron Gods had some incredible dungeons, but that first dungeon under Torch is just incredible.

[Yakman]

Briarstone Asylum in Book 1 of Strange Aeons. There's no competition in my opinion.

[Lord Snow]

Shout out to Scarwall, from the end of Curse of the Crimson Throne! A high-ish level dungeon done right, in my opinion. It's huge, filled with interesting and varied encounters, and simply drips with atmosphere.

I'm also a huge fan of the Lady's Light, from the second adventure in Shards of Sin. I think it really has this feeling of discovery, alongside some serious highlights, both in traps and encounters.

[Dragonchess Player]

Lord Snow wrote:

I'm also a huge fan of the Lady's Light, from the second adventure in Shards of Sin. I think it really has this feeling of discovery, alongside some serious highlights, both in traps and encounters.

Not to mention "that trap..." (those familiar with the adventure will know what I'm talking about)

One of the most interesting twists in the Shattered Star/Shards of Sin AP, IMO; even though it is (technically) optional and has (supposedly) minimal impact beyond a few encounters.

[Dragonchess Player]

If including the Dungeon magazine's APs, the Whispering Cairn (from Age of Worms) is possibly one of the best low-level dungeons for the way it incorporates the pacing of encounters to allow for rest/recovery, as well as the "side quests" outside the dungeon and in town needed to "unlock" the final area. The Temple of Demogorgon in Here There Be Monsters (from Savage Tide) is pretty interesting for a small, mid-level dungeon.

For 3.x APs, the Misgivings in The Skinsaw Murders (from Rise of the Runelords) is still one of the creepiest "haunted houses" to adventure in. The House of the Beast (from Legacy of Fire) is a well-done "mega-dungeon" for a lower level party.

For PF1 APs, the Asmodean Knot in The Sixfold Trial (from Council of Thieves) is one of those weird magical dungeons that's fun for both the players and the GM; not to mention the what the PCs need to accomplish to even enter the thing (both survive a murder play and avoid being thrown out of a banquet/party with high society). Scrapwall in Lords of Rust (from Iron Gods) is technically not a "dungeon" in the strictest sense, but is great if your group would enjoy the Numeria themes (mixing magic, mutants, and technology in the same setting).

For PF2 APs, Gauntlight (the entire ruins/dungeon, spanning all three installments of Abomination Vaults) probably sets the bar.

[Warped Savant]

Oh... oh that's a tough one...
Scarwall in Crimson Throne is incredible. It's such a large, classic feeling castle.

Misgivings from Rise of the Runelords fit in really well to my version of Crimson Throne and the players all loved how creepy it was. I left the haunts but took out all of the fights, which really unsettled them because it's Pathfinder so they were expecting to fight ghosts and what-not.

But, as Yakman said, Briarstone Asylum in Strange Aeons is the winner for me. It's so large, filled with so many different things, different styles of encounters, great atmosphere to it... Really well done.

[W E Ray]

Yeah, for me it's 100% Scarwall Keep from CotCT. I really don't see any others coming close.

[Defiler82]

I would say that for me is what's going on under Jorgenfist (library included) as my pick dungeon. Not too long (like Scarwall, House of the Beast or Castle Drezen that feels like they are going forever). Not like the Misgiving (Haunts takes a lot of the player's agency and there are too much empty spaces to set the right atmosphere but not enough crunch for everyone) which is too specific or like the hell that was going on in the 5th book of Mummy's Mask (that was WAY above EVERYONE's paygrade). On the other hand, while short dungeons (Graul's farm for example) can be sweet and to the point - they lack the time to really grow into several sessions of dungeon crawling. So Jorgenfist is my pick.

[zimmerwald1915]

Akuvskaya Prison Camp, for its interconnectivity and theming.

[Lord Fyre]

zimmerwald1915 wrote:

Akuvskaya Prison Camp, for its interconnectivity and theming.

You were Russian when posting that.

[Steel_Wind]

Greg Vaughan's Scarwall Castle from Skeletons of Scarwall - the 5th volume from the Anniv Ed of CotCT. The single best castle in any modern RPG, imo.

[W E Ray]

Votes so far:

3 Scarwall Keep .... "Skeletons of Scarwall" .... Curse of the Crimson Throne

2 Briarstone Asylum .... "In Search of Sanity" .... Strange Aeons

2 Dungeons under Arkona Palace .... "Escape from Old Korvosa" .... Curse of the Crimson Throne

1 Akuvskaya Prison Camp .... "Rasputin Must Die" .... Reign of Winter

1 Asmodean Knot .... "The Sixfold Trial" .... Council of Thieves

1 Science Deck under the Divinity .... "Fires of Creation" .... Iron Gods

1 The Crow .... "Shards of Sin" .... Shattered Star

[W E Ray]

My compilation (above) of the votes in this Thread so far is not great; lots of us didn't really post in such a way as to really compile a list. And I didn't count the 'Favorite Post' tallies either.

But I'm really interested in this.

What if we posted Site-Based-Dungeons in Single Volume APs by Points:

4 Points maximum can only be awarded to ONE first choice
3 Points (optional)
2 Points (optional)
1 Point (optional) for a total of ONLY 10 points
(1 first, 1 second, 1 third, 1 fourth -- or 4 points for 1st choice and up to six 'Honorable Mentions' at 1 Point each -- or whatever combination fits for you. 10 Point limit and only one can get four points)

Then from time to time we can compile them.

Choose your Adventure Path "Great" Dungeon from a Single Volume, regardless of Pathfinder or PF2, with other choices earning fewer points.

[W E Ray]

My 10 Points:

4 Points Scarwall Keep .... "Skeletons of Scarwall" .... Curse of the Crimson Throne

2 Points Renchurch (ruined Cathedral & Catacombs) .... "Shadows of Gallowspire" .... Carrion Crown

1 Point Briarstone Asylum .... "In Search of Sanity" .... Strange Aeons

1 Point The Lady's Light .... "Curse of the Lady's Light" .... Shattered Star

1 Point Hollow Mountain .... "It Came from Hollow Mountain" Return of the RuneLords

1 Point Harrowstone Prison .... "The Haunting of Harrowstone" .... Carrion Crown

.

(I couldn't quite get 'The Crow,' 'Arkona Palace Dungeons,' 'Brinewall Keep,' or 'The Catacombs of Wrath' in here, but ah well.)

[Unicore]

As a GM, the Gray garrison from the first book of the wrath of the righteous was the most fun dungeon I have ever run. I put my players on a pretty hardcore timer, as once they got to the second floor, the demon hordes occupying kenabres came surging back in the entrance, so there was no breaks and no retreat. All the allies they had made thus far provided them resources and slowed the advance, but by the time they were at the boss fight of the dungeon, the party felt like they were on a one way suicide mission and when the the big thing happened at the end (avoiding spoilers), they felt like they had really earned become mythic heroes.

As far as why that dungeon worked so well for it, the “fighting through a castle that has only recently fallen under demonic corruption had amazing atmosphere and visual descriptions. The ecology of it all felt really well balanced and super (un)natural. And the cult of the Ivory tower was a phenomenal enemy to be pursuing.

[Perpdepog]

This might be cheating a smidge, because it's big enough to have multiple dungeon maps all interconnected, but my pick has to be Fallowdeep from Midwives to Death. It layers different kinds of creatures really well, particularly considering the strong undead theming in all of Tyrant's Grasp, and the feel of the place is great, moving down through the additions built by previous occupying forces.
The dungeon also has one of my favorite things in any dungeon--factions. My party had a great time working with, and against, the various factions of baddies down there, trying to find ways to pit them against each other while also not giving any of them a definite upper hand.