(1) Tomb of Horrors. 5+ stars. Gary Gygax, 1978. (2) The Lost City. 5+ stars. Tom Moldvay, 1982.

Levels 10-14. The mother of all killer dungeons is Levels 1-3. A close second on my list, and I could 3) Castle Amber. 5+ stars. Tom Moldvay, 1981.
revered by everyone, even victims who insist almost award it the top slot for being a beginner's Levels 3-6. Another Moldvay treasure, but in this
otherwise. It gave DMs a license to be punishing module. It's hard to come up with top-notch low- one I was the player. The Amber family are a lot
off the scales, and players the okay to be level adventures, but The Lost City is so inspired like a warped version of Tolkien's elves: "The
masochistically thrilled by impossible challenges. that I never resented the fact that the city itself Ambers live magically lengthened lives, but they
Today's gamers accuse it of being ridiculously leaves much for the DM to develop; I bought into have seen too much and are bored. They seek
unfair, and they're right, but they don't realize that's the pyramid so much that the rest flowed without anything to relieve this boredom." Equally amused
an accolade. Multi-layered traps and demonic thinking. The module in many ways epitomizes by the success or deaths of anyone working
snares are in play everywhere, and some of the what the Golden Age of D&D had to offer: pulp against them (for "a good spectacle" is more
rooms have acquired mythic status: The Forsaken fantasy at its purest, depicting an ancient important than victory or defeat), their chaotic
Prison, The Chapel of Evil, The False Crypt, The underground civilization that's been corrupted by a indifference disturbs more than the evil of
Chamber of Hopelessness. I get chills thinking of Cthulhu-like deity monster. The three renegade traditional foes. No other module on this list boasts
them and the disturbing illustrations provided in the factions adhere to the old gods, but they don't like so many colorful and psychotic characters: the
special booklet. No other dungeon has called forth each other, and will use the PCs as pawns in their librarian Charles who buried his sister Madeline
the level of commentary that continues to this day, covert agendas. The revolving passage on the third alive; the soul of Princess Catherine waiting to
ranging from the outraged to the venomous to the tier of the pyramid is a terrific dungeon feature, and possess someone; the evil priest Simon; Madam
heapingly sarcastic (my favorite is the cover parody the personalities of the cult leaders, their costume Camilla who is itching to tell fortunes. Also, no
carrying the label "For Advanced Sadists & attire and masks, are spot on, meshing perfectly other module offers so much with such effortless
Masochists"), but what's interesting is that the only with the decadent culture of the Cynidiceans. The economy. First, there's the castle itself, with two
reason Tomb of Horrors even exists is because influence of Howard's Red Nails is often talked large wings, an indoor forest, and a chapel, and not
players were complaining that the game was about, and the hallucinogenic drug-addicted a room is wasted; second comes a challenging
getting too easy. It's hard to imagine how D&D devotees of Zargon are exactly the sorts Conan dungeon with well planned surprises, ending at a
would have evolved if not for those complaints, but would find himself going against. I'll never forget magical gateway to -; third, the old home of the
there's no question that Gygax is remembered for my friend's reaction when his characters confronted Ambers on an alternate prime material plane
his response to them, this module, more than any the high priest beside the underground lake, and I resembling medieval France, where the players
other. When he died in 2008, it was even had the fanatic cast an earthquake spell. (I think he must acquire four artifacts to return to - ; fourth, the
suggested as a tribute to start a fund for a thought I was as psychotic as the priest.) There is tomb of Stephen Amber himself, where lies the
mausoleum based on the tomb's layout, and I can't endless potential in The Lost City for follow-up means to break the curse of the castle. Moldvay hit
imagine a more appropriate honor. The '90s adventures, and at one point I harbored ambitions a home run like he did with The Lost City, and I
sequel, Return to the Tomb of Horrors, is frankly to develop an entire series out of it. would probably call Castle Amber the most
just as good (and twice as deadly), and may be rewarding D&D adventure I ever experienced as a
considered an honorary tie at first place. The Lost City, 1982 (B4) player.
The third module of Moldvay's "Pulp Fantasy
Tomb of Horrors, 1978 (S1) Trilogy," this one is one is sometimes Castle Amber, 1981 (X2)
overshadowed by its bigger brothers, which is a Part of Tom Moldvay's "Pulp Fantasy Trilogy,"
I wrote at length about this yesterday, so you shame, because it's a terrific evocation of "Red Castle Amber is a favorite of mine.
already know my opinion of this module. It's Nails" and other similar stories.
definitely one of the top 5 adventure modules of all
time and I'd be suspicious of any list that didn't
include it as such.
(4) Vault of the Drow. 5+ stars. Gary Gygax, 1978.
Levels 10-14. Some modules don't age well as you
get older, and Queen of the Demonweb Pits is the
best example of this. Others do the opposite, and
for me Vault of the Drow has appreciated in value
more than any module in the history of D&D. I
never got proper use out of it for two reasons. First
because it falls in the worst place possible in a long
series, penultimately trailing five dungeon crawls,
and by this point characters are burning to get to
the Abyss to which Vault of the Drow serves as a
mere doorstop. The second reason feeds into the
first. This is an underground city, not a dungeon,
and with enough care can be mostly sidestepped
by those not interested in lingering. And that's a
shame, because this is a realm to be milked and
savored for all its worth. The descriptive writing on
display is nothing less than brilliant, and DM's who
know what they're doing can serve up an incredibly
haunting world where factions of dark elves plot
against each other, demons and undead walk the
streets, and obscene sacrifices are offered to the
goddess Lolth -- all under the purple glow of
phosphorescent fungi and a bizarre "moon" of
shimmering amethyst. There are torture parlors,
bordellos, and drug saloons, but everything is
ironically civilized and disturbingly beautiful. If I
were running this today I'd use it as a stand-alone,
with the aid of the amazing background provided in
Dragon issue #298. It's a module I wish I'd known
how to manage better, and appreciate better, in my
gaming years. It's brilliant, and I get chills just
reading it.
Queen of Spiders, 1986 (G1-3, D1-3, Q1)
This is a bit of a cop-out entry. Taken as a whole, I don't
think there's much doubt that the Giants/Drow series of
modules is probably the most iconic collection of D&D
adventures ever published and firmly established a
number of Gygaxian elements/motifs/idiosyncrasies as
normative for the game as a whole. However, I think it's
cheating to lump all the modules together, particularly in
the rather hamfisted "supermodule" format, and declare it
the greatest D&D adventure of all time. In my opinion, Q1
is very weak, both conceptually and in its presentation,
and the G series consists primarily of workmanlike
dungeon crawls, albeit with a solid theme and enough
backstory to give them greater significance. The D
series, on the other hand, are universally excellent and
indeed groundbreaking on many levels. I'd have fewer
quibbles about naming, say, Vault of the Drow the
greatest adventure of all time, even if it's not necessarily
what I'd have chosen.
(8) Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. 5 stars. Gary
Gygax, 1980. Levels 8-12. Robots and laser guns
come to D&D. There are some who decry any
injection of science fiction into fantasy, and I tend to
be like that myself, but when done occasionally,
and when the sci-fic elements are treated as
completely alien, it can work. Expedition to the
Barrier Peaks works wonders. I could go on about
the mileage I got out of this module, especially as a
player in taking over the crashed ship -- by
acquiring the color-coded cards that key open
restricted areas and give one authority over the
robots. It's essentially about fantasy characters
going wild with their fantasies of super technology,
and the stunning visual aids help tremendously on
this point. The uniquely designed blaster pistols,
blaster rifles, laser pistols, laser rifles, needle guns,
paralysis guns, various grenades, and powered
armor are etched in my mind forever, and you
pretty much need a lot of this stuff to have any
hope in taking on the alien forces infesting the ship.
Provided you can figure out how to use them: there
are flow-charts determining this, and high
intelligence scores are much advised to guard
against shooting oneself. Expedition to the Barrier
Peaks represents a clash of genres which should
be emulated perhaps once a decade; when done
right, the result kicks ass.
Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, 1980 (S3)
I don't have any quibbles about this module, which
I both thoroughly enjoyed and think is indeed a
classic on many levels, not least of which being its
excellent illustration booklet.
(9) Ravenloft. 5 stars. Tracy and Laura Hickman,
1983. Levels 5-7. The middle of '83 is when
everything changed: inferior cover designs,
railroady adventures, the inception of the dreaded
Silver Age. But before ruining everything with
Dragonlance, the Hickmans came up with this little
terror, and as much as I hate to include them on a
list of favorites, there's just no denying that
Ravenloft is plain awesome. In the opinion of many,
in fact, it's the #1 module of all time. It's Dracula in
a D&D setting and saturated with gothic menace.
The premise involves an isolated community under
terror, and anyone who enters the vale cannot
leave: once you breathe Barovia's enchanted
atmosphere, your life depends on it, and killing the
vampire Strahd is the only way to dispel the fog.
The castle of Ravenloft itself is superb, infested
with bats, wolves, and various undead in thrall to
the vampire, and the teleport trap protecting
Strahd's coffin is genius (exchanging someone who
passes through the crypts for the undead body of a
wight who then assumes the character's attire and
possessions, while the poor fool goes inside the
wight's coffin; to the other players, it simply looks
like the character has turned into a wight). As with
Stoker's classic, there's a tragic backdrop to the
vampire's story, and if the players succeed in killing
him, it's a true mercy. The module makes good use
of "fortune" through the gypsies of Barovia, whose
card readings result in different scenarios each
time the module is used. The black-and-white
visuals evoke the mood perfectly. Beyond doubt,
Ravenloft is the best undead adventure ever made.
Ravenloft, 1983 (I6)
Much as I love the Gothic horror/melodrama
atmosphere of this module, I think it's fair to say
that Ravenloft has probably exercised the most
baleful influence over the development of D&D of
any module other than the Dragonlance series,
which isn't surprising since Tracy Hickman was
involved in both. I loved David Sutherland's three-
dimensional maps at the time, but they proved less
than ideal to use in play. Likewise, the plot is
heavy-handed and railroad-y. And don't get me
started on the fetishization of Strahd von Zarovich.
(11) The Village of Hommlet. 5 stars. Gary Gygax,
1979. Levels 1-3. At first blush this is just a village
serving as a base for an expedition to an evil
temple described in another module. But there's
nothing "just" about anything by Gary Gygax, and I
can understand why people like James
Maliszewski and Joe Bloch rhapsodize about
Hommlet to no end. Says Maliszewski: "There's
something powerful about this perfect set-up for a
new campaign. I share with Tolkien the conception
of history as a 'long defeat' and The Village of
Hommlet touches on that theme obliquely -- the
notion that each generation must stare Evil in the
face and bar the way of its advance, even if it's
ultimately just a holding action, for Evil can never
truly be defeated in this life." And Bloch thinks it's
literally the best D&D module of all time. I love it
too, and designed a terrifying module that begins in
Hommlet. There's something about a Gary Gygax
module that's so richly subterranean even when
focused on the mundane; this village wouldn't carry
a fifth of its effect had it been penned by anyone
else. It's certainly superior to what was supposed to
be a smash sequel, The Temple of Elemental Evil,
which frankly left me cold. And I even place it over
Keep on the Borderlands, though I have a difficult
time choosing between them.
(12) The Keep on the Borderlands. 5 stars. Gary
Gygax, 1979. Levels 1-3. Pure classic, this is the
module DMs and players cut their teeth on back in
the Golden Age, when it came packaged in the
introductory boxed set. Everyone played the Caves
of Chaos, and there's something fundamentally
"D&D'ish" about a castle on the edge of civilization
providing a base to launch forays into a network of
lairs populated by various humanoids -- orcs,
goblins, hobgoblins, gnolls, bugbears, even an owl
bear and ogre, and an evil priest with a pet medusa
to boot. By later standards (the mid-'80s and
beyond), the Caves of Chaos seem almost like a
videogame, in that there is no story behind the
caves' inhabitants, no over-arching motivations
behind the priest in the evil shrine... they're all just
there, sitting in their rooms, as if obligingly awaiting
D&D adventurers who want to fight them, take their
treasure, and gain experience points. But these
were the days when DMs took the initiative to
develop their own backstories and let them develop
organically, by accommodating unpredictable
players who could actually decide what they
wanted to do without playing into some pre-
determined arc. Keep on the Borderlands sits right
below Village of Hommlet, but it's really a tie; these
low-level Gygax gems shine in different ways.
The Keep on the Borderlands, 1979 (B1)
Like The Village of Hommlet, B2 is nearly perfect.
I'd rate it higher than 7, but that's a quibble.
(13) Beyond the Crystal Cave. 4 stars. Dave
Browne, Tom Kirby & Graeme Morris, 1983. Levels
4-7. Sinfully underrated, even unheard of in some
circles. I can't believe it's not on more favorites
lists. Porpherio's Garden is the closest thing TSR
ever came to Tolkien: a Lothlorien-like domain that
never sees winter, where time passes 700 times
more slowly on the inside, and where an attitude of
hacking and slaying will get you swiftly killed. This
module was a milestone for me in showing the full
potentials of role-playing that leans on verbal skills
and crafty intelligence. The plot centers around a
pair of aristocratic lovers who apparently got lost in
the garden, haven't been seen in years, and the
players are hired to find them and get them out.
The problem is that the lovers have drunk from a
fountain that makes them want to stay forever, and
nothing, short of using force or a wish, will
persuade them to leave, forcing questions about
the ethics of trying to finish the job. Druids will feel
like they're in heaven, as they automatically gain a
level in the garden, and will naturally bond with the
resident wildlife (satyrs, centaurs, unicorns, etc.).
Warriors are a bit useless, and mages will be
frustrated to find that many of their spells
(especially fire related) won't work. And since a day
inside the garden translates to two years outside,
time is of the essence... or the players will be
returning to a much different world. Beyond the
Crystal Cave teaches some serious humility and
deserves more recognition than it gets.
(14) Descent into the Depths of the Earth. 4
stars. Gary Gygax, 1978. Levels 9-14. Resonating
with Cthulhu-like myths and Mesoamerican
architecture, the Kuo-Toan shrine is the real feature
here. The first installment in the D-series is rather
bland, which is no doubt why it was eventually
released as a package deal with the Kuo-Toa
module, under the title of the first and given cover
art for the second. That cover (click on the image to
expand) remains one of my favorite of all time; I
love the way the blues and greens and yellows mix,
and bathe the lobster-goddess statue in a weird
spiritual candor. The kuo-toa made nearly as much
impression on me as the drow of the next module,
with their highly regimented society of priests and
assassins and brutally exotic culture; as
amphibians this makes them even more intriguing.
For all their practices of slavery and sacrifice, it's
possible to negotiate with them if characters are
shrewd. And there's a pathos to this race of fish-
men clinging to their obscene sanctuary, way below
the earth, raising their "fingerlings" (baby kuo-toans
who can't survive outside water), carrying on
worship of the Sea Mother. Gygax did a good job
coming up with treasures, altars, traps, and other
peculiarities one might expect to find in such a
peculiar place, and I have especially fond
memories DM'ing this product.
(15) The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan. 4 stars.
Harold Johnson & Jeff Leason, 1980. Levels 5-7.
The format copies Tomb of Horrors to a tee, as if
the authors wanted to come up with the same kind
of thing for lower level characters who at least
stand a chance. Players stumble on an abandoned
shrine in the middle of nowhere, loaded with traps,
light on treasure, and with few but formidable
monsters (including a vampire). It's a great
dungeon that tests the players' mettle around every
corner, in memorable rooms like The Chapel of the
Feathered Servant (one player fights an imaginary
foe while the others are forced by a winged serpent
to solve a puzzle), the Hall of the Smoking Mirrors
(look into them if you dare), and the Hidden Room
of the Alter-Ego (a statue duplicates the looks of
one of the players and comes to life while that
player turns to stone). The visual aids are splendid,
and again in the same design as those in Tomb of
Horrors, though with clear Central & Southern
American features that give a distinctly exotic vibe
-- it even puts one in mind of an Indiana Jones
adventure. A quintessential example of a module
from the Golden Age: there's no pre-packaged
story; the dungeon itself is the exclusive platform
on which the players (and DM) can build their own
story, and as such it can be inserted into almost
any wilderness campaign; most importantly, every
room counts and contains the unexpected.
The Hidden Shrine of Tamochan, 1980 (C1)
This is an excellent old school module that reminds
me a bit of Tomb of Horrors in that it has very few
monsters but plenty of tricks and traps. Likewise,
the Mesoamerican ambience of the place -- given
glorious life by many Erol Otus illustrations -- adds
to its charm.
(16) Against the Cult of the Reptile God. 4 stars.
Douglas Niles, 1982. Levels 1-3. This body-
snatching adventure has sharp intrigue, and is
even better than I remember. The village of Orlane
has Hommlet vibes, but without feeling like a
copycat, and fleshed out with remarkable detail.
The plot involves a serpent cult (it seems that
snake worshippers are always a hit in D&D) taking
over the village by an unpleasant brainwashing
process that's been going on for about a year. PCs
must determine which villagers have been
converted, and they can be given quite a bum steer
depending on whose suspicions they take to heart:
the mayor is convinced the hermit is the cause of
the village's distress, and others suspect the newly
arrived elves; there are plenty of wrong guesses to
keep players on their toes. The village drama is
nothing less than a horror-mystery thriller, and a
superb prelude to the swamp dungeon full of lizard
men and crocodiles (and the insidious naga with
hypnotic powers). In fact, the villagers are so well
fleshed out that I brandish this module as a first-
rate example of how to create NPCs with
compelling hidden motives. Against the Cult of the
Reptile God requires a lot out of beginning players,
brains as much as brawn, and the beauty is that
any or all of the PCs are fair game for kidnapping
and brainwashing -- they could well be up against
themselves.
Against the Cult of the Reptile God, 1982 (N1)
An under-appreciated module that proves Douglas
Niles once had serious design chops.
(17) The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. 4 stars.
Dave Browne & Don Turnbull, 1981. Levels 1-3.
The following trilogy is a class-A example of a
series that doesn't have railroading baggage. This
is hard to do in a series approach, which is why
there weren't many series modules in the old days
(only becoming the norm after Dragonlance). The
trilogy also scores big-time as thinking-players'
modules, especially the first two where things aren't
at all what they seem. This first one is the fan
favorite: a haunted house that's not really haunted,
and PCs ultimately become policemen when they
find out that smugglers, not ghosts, reside on the
cliff. It's the build up to that realization that makes
Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh so exciting. DM's can
instill a lot of fear if they know what they're doing,
and keep players believing the supernatural is at
large with the blinking lights, ghastly shrieks, and
nauseating carrion. On top of this, the assassin
plant in the upstairs bedroom has loads of
potential, and if used subtly, can really sow
confusion or even discord among the players. The
second half of the adventure is more
straightforward: the jig is up, the players board the
smugglers' ship and discover lizard men involved
with the plot, which segues into the next module.
(18) Danger at Dunwater. 4 stars. David Browne
& Don Turnbull, 1982. Levels 1-4. This one may be
less scary than the house on the cliff, but it's even
more dangerous, as it easily invites bloodshed
when diplomacy is needed. It turns out the lizard
men have been arming themselves not to attack
Saltmarsh, or any human settlement, but to take
back their own fortress from invading sahuagin --
who are the true threat to humanity (the enemy of
the third module). It's a tricky business: even PCs
who reach a negotiating stage will more than likely
have killed at least some lizard men before piecing
clues together and will face new problems. Any
treasure they've acquired will have to be returned,
and the lizard-man king will impose weregild fees
for any casualties among his race. Some claim that
Danger at Dunwater doesn't measure up to the
previous module, or that it's a dungeon wasted on
pacifist strategies, but neither is true and ignores
that all but the most shrewd PCs will believe the
lizard men to be the evil threat until they proceed
far enough through the dungeon to piece clues
together. Some PCs won't even catch on at all. (If
they figure out things too quickly, then the DM is
doing a lousy job.) My favorite encounter area is
the room where the two lizard boys are playing,
having escaped the nursery; in the game I
refereed, the PCs fed them treats and couldn't get
rid of the little pests.
(19) The Final Enemy. 4 stars. David Browne &
Don Turnbull, 1983. Levels 3-5. The last part of the
trilogy is the straightforward one, but an incredibly
deadly one for low-level PCs. Underwater
breathing is required in two-thirds of this dungeon,
and woe to the fools who don't swiftly kill any
sahuagin before they can raise an alarm;
underwater combat becomes just as critical. But
PCs aren't supposed to seek out any combat, far
less clear the dungeon (which would be a suicide
mission), only to recon the three levels and report
back to Saltmarsh officials who will launch war
themselves. That's far easier said than done, and
there are many encounter areas which will put role-
playing to a test. For instance, the temple on the
middle level is a nasty business, where sahuagin
priestesses sacrifice young infants to a shark
swimming throughout the room. These are the
hatchlings who don't measure up to the rigorous
physical standards of the sahuagin race, and the
ritual on display is enough to sicken all good-
aligned characters who in most cases won't be able
to stop themselves from intervening. Taken
together, the Saltmarsh trilogy is a shining example
of an extended adventure that draws on players'
resources in unexpected ways. David Browne (see
also Beyond the Crystal Cave at #13) was a rare
designer who could think outside the box without
succumbing to the evils of the new school.
(21) The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun. 4 stars.
Gary Gygax, 1982. Levels 5-10. This one may not
excel with content, but it's one hell of a mood piece
and inspired one of my own dungeons similarly
premised on a dormant evil that has the power to
possess and drive people insane. The temple itself
is a two-tiered pyramid with dungeons beneath,
and a secret mini-level harboring potent treasures
and nasty traps. The idea that characters must
enact twisted rituals to progress through the temple
is creepy as hell; the temple itself is the chief
antagonist, defending itself against assault and
penetration in insidious ways. And while some
consider the final room of the Black Cyst to be anti-
climactic, I love it for the non-traditional endgame
involving a subtle energy force -- which of course is
Tharizdun himself, trying to manifest and be set
free. An efficient DM can really work on player's
emotions throughout the temple, as Tharizdun's
essence seeks to elicit sympathy, but also lust and
greed, before killing people or driving them insane.
The possibility of being trapped forever
underground is very real. As a mood piece, it's the
kind of module that requires some thoughtful
planning before running it. It's full of dark secrets
and an overlooked gem.
(22) Master of the Desert Nomads. 4 stars.
David Cook, 1983. Levels 6-9. The cover design
and trade dress should signal alarm, and
technically the next two modules fall outside my
scope which covers up to the middle of 1983. But
for all the sins creeping into D&D at this time, the
Nomads series is astoundingly superb, and
perhaps that's no surprise given David Cook's pulp-
fantasy genius. This is a desert wilderness of
horrors, at the end of which waits an abbey run by
(what appear to be) a benign group of monks who
(in actuality) are strange undead-like creatures who
show their true hideous forms when the sun goes
down. The abbey is frankly one of my favorite
scenarios ever designed and it plays extremely
well, with a lot of nail-biting tension. What slightly
rankles are the NPC encounters that happen out of
nowhere in order to steer PCs in the right direction
and make sure that events go as planned. Again,
this foreshadows Dragonlance-like designs which
orchestrated events with less accommodation for
spontaneity. With a little tweaking, of course, you
can ignore some of the script-slavery, and to be
fair, it's not that heavy-handed. In fact, Master of
the Desert Nomads and Temple of Death are the
least offensive examples of the new school I know
of, and their settings so strong that I have to
include them high on this list.
(23) Temple of Death. 4 stars. David Cook, 1983.
Levels 6-10. The sequel to Master of the Desert
Nomads is a close tie, though against consensus I
slightly favor the abbey over the temple. The
deception behind the former adds another level of
tension, appearing to be a benign sanctuary but in
fact a death zone. The temple harbors no such
illusions, and players know exactly what they're
getting into -- the capital of a modern-Iran
equivalent led by an "Ayatollah" responsible for
desert raids and holy wars. Once again, there is
some troublesome railroading, not least the town of
Magden which instead of being a location on the
map only becomes a location after the PCs visit
one of the three nameless towns; i.e. to ensure that
they reach "this" particular town. But as before, the
railroading is minimal and forgivable in light of the
excellent encounter areas and dungeon designs.
The mountain pass into Hule is wild pup fantasy
come to life, with alluring caverns of hallucinations,
and even a ladder that ascends into a Kingdom of
the Moon. As for the temple of death itself, it can be
counted on to kill all but the most shrewd PCs. And
the decoy of the Master's avatar is brilliant. The
real Master's inanimate body resides in one of the
coffins of the huge crypt, and is actually fairly
accessible; few PCs ever realize this.
(24) Dungeonland & The Land Beyond the Magic
Mirror. 4 stars. Gary Gygax, 1983. Levels 9-12.
These are the well-loved spin-offs of Alice in
Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, and
their function depends on a good amount of meta-
gaming. Meta-gaming is essentially the use of out-
of-game information or resources to affect one's in-
game decisions, and there's plenty of that here,
though what's amusing is that such strategies will
work against players as often as for them. For
instance, when the herald begins charging PCs by
talking about "the Queen of Hearts", players might
be tempted to respond cleverly with rhymes about
tarts or the knave stealing them. This will seal their
fate, as the King and Queen will demand to know
how they even knew of the crime. Meta-gaming is
usually deemed the worst sin in RPGs, but it
seems acceptable in a batshit context like
Dungeonland. And make no mistake, for all the
craziness, Dungeonland and Magic Mirror work
wonders as high-level challenges: they are deadly
and unforgiving. Like the Brothers Grimm, fairy
tales are supposed to be scary, as most of them
were until the influence of Disney. Gygax
understands this and equips his psychotic NPCs
accordingly. For instance, the Mad Hatter is an 8th-
level monk who has an endless supply of cursed
hats that he will attempt to throw on people's heads
-- hat of occupation (PC believes himself to be a
different class), hat of imprisonment (enlarges to
cover the PC and make him immobile), hat of fools
(makes the PC dance uncontrollably), etc. The
March Hare is even more insane; the Cheshire Cat
an omnipresent nightmare. Had Wonderland been
translated into a beginner's level adventure it would
have been a joke. Gygax made it a terror like Pan's
Labyrinth, and there's no real purpose to it other
than to ride the psychosis and see if you can
survive. It's a pocket universe feeding DM sadism
and PC risk addiction, and despite certain
reservations I'm very fond of it.
(25) The Ghost Tower of Inverness. 4 stars. Allen
Hammack, 1980. Levels 5-7. I don't revere this one
as much as I used to, though I will say that if
there's an award to be given for "most difficult and
frustrating module that I enjoyed as a player",
Ghost Tower of Inverness would probably win. It's a
horror house of trapped puzzles and formidable
beasts, with an emphasis on the former, and if
you're not quick at solving them you haven't a
chance. The warning at the start is quite apt: "the
tower is designed for experienced players, and the
mistake of equating experienced characters with
experienced players should be avoided". Obviously
I wasn't as experienced as I thought, because I
was duly shafted, one of my characters killed, and
obtuse enough that the DM had to offer some
helpful steering at one point so I could at least have
a chance. Considering my other hobbies at the
time, I should have been able to do a lot better on
the chess floor (where each player must move like
a particular piece or take heavy damage), and
given my intimate familiarity as a DM with the
punishing surprises that come at the end of
dungeons, you'd think I'd have taken a less cavalier
attitude in the room of the soul-gem. It's a very fun
module for all its artificiality, and I especially like the
premise of PCs being forced to retrieve the soul-
gem to atone for crimes they didn't even commit.
(26) White Plume Mountain. 4 stars. Lawrence
Schick, 1979. Levels 5-10. Here's another that
hasn't aged well; in my teen years I would have
easily put it somewhere in the top five (my extreme
example of a module that has aged badly is Queen
of the Demonweb Pits, which went all the way from
#1 to #40). Don't get me wrong, I still have plenty of
affection for White Plume Mountain, but there's
something artificial about it that rubs me the wrong
way. Also, it plays like Tomb of Horrors lite. Almost
every room involves a trap, puzzle, riddle, or
deadly creature -- but with an odd feel of levity, so
you have PCs doing things like kayaking on a river
suspended in mid-air. The premise involves
recovering three magical weapons -- a warhammer,
trident, and sword -- artifacts with memorable
personalities, and powerful ones at that. It's
interesting how the module came into being:
Lawrence Schick wrote it while applying to work for
TSR, and he simply cobbled together the best parts
of his previous dungeons. It definitely has a
patchwork feel to it, and obviously the sword
Blackrazor is a rip-off of Elric's Stormbringer (which
frankly I love). One of my players ran wild with the
warhammer's ability to inflict massive stun when
thrown down; it became a running gag in my
gaming group to threaten, "You better look out, I'm
going to throw Whelm on the ground!"
(27) Dwellers of the Forbidden City. 4 stars. David (28)
Cook, 1981. Levels 4-7. Like The Lost City, a
wonderful homage to Red Nails, this time set in a
jungle instead of a desert, with factions split by
race rather than religion. The module tends to
divide fandom, its detractors emphasizing the lack
of cohesion and sections that seem tacked on
without much thought. It's true this isn't the
masterpiece Lost City is, and the mountain
passages into the city aren't half as impressive as
the Cynidicean step pyramid. Worst of all, there are
no layouts for yuan-ti strongholds, and they're the
star creatures of the module. But it's inspiring for all
the deficiencies, and we at least get the snake-men
in the mountain passes. They're as iconic as drow,
and their allies (the tasloi and bugbears) work well
in tandem, lording themselves over the
mongrelmen and bullywugs. Of course, I'm a
sucker for hidden exotic cities populated by lethal
groups at each others' throats, which so clearly
emulate the Conan classic. Ironically, I never got a
chance to DM this product (staying obsessed with
Moldvay's lost city), but had rewards as a player;
my friend seemed to have a thing for snake-priests
and as a Howard fan, no doubt, tapped into the
pulp-fantasy essence with ease. The more I think
about the Cynidiceans and yuan-ti, the more I want
to design my own lost city, completely on my own
terms -- perhaps an arctic one, since desert and
jungle have had their say.
The Isle of Dread. 4 stars. David Cook &
Tom Moldvay, 1980. Levels 3-7. Of all entries on
this list, this one is an anomaly in the sense I hardly
remember specifics about it as a DM or player, only
that it was a lot of fun on both counts. Rereading it
today I can see why. Players basically sail off to a
tropical island to go treasure hunting, and how
things unfold depends entirely on where they
choose to go exploring. There are King Kong
homages, notably the village of Tanaroa, and
plenty of prehistoric creatures, not to mention
pirates waiting to pounce near the coast. The high
point is a ruined temple controlled by amphibious
mind-controlling creatures, much of it submerged --
and this is the part I remember most, especially the
underwater corridor with the black pearl. The Isle
of Dread is one of the least plot-driven modules I
can think of, a product that almost epitomizes the
Golden Age, and the wilderness adventure we cut
our teeth on after The Keep on the Borderlands
served as our tutorial dungeon. I don't recall ever
running into the dragon turtle displayed on the front
cover, and that's a good thing: they're a bit beyond
the combat reach of 3rd-7th level characters. Per
James Maliszewski, this island is a perfect setting
for Dwellers of the Forbidden City, and no surprise,
since David Cook is the author of each.
 see how much better it is than the material that adventuring locale rather than as a location with its
followed, which represents a valiant effort by Frank own internal logic independent of the adventurers
Mentzer to put into print both an important part of having to go there.
the Greyhawk campaign's history and a module
promised for many years beforehand. I think T1-4
1. Queen of Spiders, 1986 (G1-3, D1-3, Q1)
is solid, but it's not top 10 material as its rank here
would imply.
This is a bit of a cop-out entry. Taken as a whole, I 10. Return to the Tomb of Horrors, 1998
don't think there's much doubt that the Giants/Drow
series of modules is probably the most iconic I never owned or read this boxed set, so I can't
collection of D&D adventures ever published and really comment on its merits.
firmly established a number of Gygaxian 5. Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, 1980 (S3)
elements/motifs/idiosyncrasies as normative for the
game as a whole. However, I think it's cheating to I don't have any quibbles about this module, which
lump all the modules together, particularly in the I both thoroughly enjoyed and think is indeed a
11. The Gates of Firestorm Peak, 1996
rather hamfisted "supermodule" format, and classic on many levels, not least of which being its
declare it the greatest D&D adventure of all time. In excellent illustration booklet.
my opinion, Q1 is very weak, both conceptually and Written primarily to show off the new rules options
in its presentation, and the G series consists from the 2.5e Player's Option books, I suspect this
primarily of workmanlike dungeon crawls, albeit module made the list because of its introduction of
with a solid theme and enough backstory to give the Far Realm, the Lovecraftian dimension that
6. The Desert of Desolation, 1987 (I3-5) WotC era D&D seems so in love with. I'm not sure
them greater significance. The D series, on the
other hand, are universally excellent and indeed that alone justifies its inclusion here, as the rest of
groundbreaking on many levels. I'd have fewer Another cop-out compilation but one I'm willing to the module is pretty forgettable.
quibbles about naming, say, Vault of the Drow the let pass with less worry, since the modules play
greatest adventure of all time, even if it's not less as a series of independent but connected
necessarily what I'd have chosen. modules and more like a single module broken up
into three pieces. It's been a long time since I
12. The Forge of Fury, 2000
looked at these and, while I am pretty sure they
share the flaws of Tracy Hickman's other works (i.e.
a heavy-handed plot), I recall there being a number I never owned this module either and, given that it's
2. Ravenloft, 1983 (I6) of very clever old school traps and tricks the second rather than the first release in WotC's
throughout. Again, I'm not sure these modules are 3e adventure path, I'm a bit baffled as to why it's
Much as I love the Gothic horror/melodrama top 10 material, but I don't think them unworthy of here.
atmosphere of this module, I think it's fair to say some praise.
that Ravenloft has probably exercised the most
baleful influence over the development of D&D of
any module other than the Dragonlance series, 13. Dwellers of the Forbidden City, 1981 (I1)
which isn't surprising since Tracy Hickman was
7. The Keep on the Borderlands, 1979 (B1)
involved in both. I loved David Sutherland's three- As I've said before, this is definitely one of the
dimensional maps at the time, but they proved less
than ideal to use in play. Likewise, the plot is Like The Village of Hommlet, B2 is nearly perfect. greatest modules ever. I'd actually rate it higher
I'd rate it higher than 7, but that's a quibble. than 13.
heavy-handed and railroad-y. And don't get me
started on the fetishization of Strahd von Zarovich.

3. Tomb of Horrors, 1978 (S1)
I wrote at length about this yesterday, so you
already know my opinion of this module. It's
definitely one of the top 5 adventure modules of all
time and I'd be suspicious of any list that didn't
include it as such.
8. Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, 2001
I could go on at some length about why this is a
terrible, terrible module that misunderstands and
butchers Greyhawk lore and demonstrates why the
3e Challenge Rating system is an abomination, but
why bother? There's simply no justification for
including this in a top 30 list, let alone ranking it at
number 8.
14. Dead Gods, 1997
I'm a fan of Planescape, but I can't say much good
about most of the modules produced for the line,
particularly the later ones, of which Dead Gods is
part. They represent TSR's rather unfortunate
flirtation with White Wolf-style metaplot, in the
process wreaking havoc on an otherwise well-
done, if off-kilter, take on fantasy.

4. The Temple of Elemental Evil, 1985 (T1-4)
Another cop-out, but a more justifiable one. I'm
personally of the opinion that T1 The Village of
Hommlet alone deserves to be in any top 10 list of
greatest adventures of all time. Coupled with the
rest of the material from this supermodule, you can
15. Castle Amber, 1981 (X2)
9. White Plume Mountain, 1979 (S2)
I have great fondness for this module and no Part of Tom Moldvay's "Pulp Fantasy Trilogy,"
qualms about its inclusion in the top 30. I think it's Castle Amber is a favorite of mine.
too "game-y" an adventure to make the top 10,
though. By that I mean that the whole set-up feels
too artificial, as if it exists solely to provide an
16. Isle of Dread, 1980 (X1) series is just as good in my opinion and quite
possibly deserve a place on this list.
Ditto Isle of Dread. 22. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, 1982 (S4)

I have a fondness for module S4, but that's mostly

17. Ruins of Undermountain, 1991
I never owned this, so I can't comment on its
placement here.
18. The Hidden Shrine of Tamochan, 1980 (C1)
because of its extensive booklet of monsters, 28. The Lost City, 1982 (B4)
magic items, and spells, which made far more of an
impact on my campaign than the adventure proper, The third module of Moldvay's "Pulp Fantasy
which is is rather bland. Trilogy," this one is one is sometimes
overshadowed by its bigger brothers, which is a
shame, because it's a terrific evocation of "Red
Nails" and other similar stories.
23. The Forgotten Temple of Tharzidun, 1982
(WG4)

The "sequel" to The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, 29. The Assassins Knot, 1983 (L2)
This is an excellent old school module that reminds
though, is one for which I have a greater
me a bit of Tomb of Horrors in that it has very few
appreciation. The adventure has a creepy, Why this is here and not L1 The Secret of Bone Hill
monsters but plenty of tricks and traps. Likewise,
"eldritch" ambience to it that I love and the is a mystery to me. Oh wait, it's because L2
the Mesoamerican ambience of the place -- given
eponymous locale is suitably bizarre and features a mystery that it got the nod while the
glorious life by many Erol Otus illustrations -- adds
Lovecraftian. often-overlooked L1 did not. I think L2 is a solid
to its charm.
module -- practically a mini-campaign, just like L1 --
but I also think that it gets more kudos than it
deserves simply because of its murder mystery
24. City of the Spider Queen, 2002 plot.
19. Against the Cult of the Reptile God, 1982 (N1)

No. This adventure exists solely to sell more R.A.

An under-appreciated module that proves Douglas
Salvatore novels and its heavy-handed plot
Niles once had serious design chops.
depends on events in the novels to make any 30. The Ghost Tower of Inverness, 1980 (C2)
sense.
While I have fond memories of this module, like
White Plume Mountain it has the feel of being a
20. Scourge of the Slave Lords, 1986 (A1-4) game module rather than an internally consistent
25. Dragons of Despair, 1984 (DL1) and logical location in its own right.
Yet another cop-out, but, again, an understandable
one, given that modules A1-4 are a tighter series
Though my dislike for Dragonlance is well-known, I
than the G/D/Q modules. I have a certain fondness
do think the first module in the series is well-done
for these adventures, but I don't worship them the
and intriguing. Had the series as a whole not been
way some old schoolers do. Part of my problem
so heavily tied into events in the novels and had
with them is that I don't find the central premise
there been more support for deviating from the
very compelling and the modules, being written by
"correct" storyline, I think the DL could have
a variety of authors, are somewhat uneven in
become true classics. As it is, DL1 represents a
quality. In addition, there are moments of heavy-
path not taken, as well as one of the key moments
handedness, such as the necessity of the PCs to
when D&D lost its soul.
be captured, that I think militate against the series'
real virtues. I don't object to their inclusion in a top
30 list and rank 20 seems about right for them.

26. City of Skulls, 1993 (WGR6)

21. Dark Tower, 1980 (from Judges Guild)
The sole entry in this list that wasn't produced by
TSR, I don't have any problem with its presence,
since this is a classic module by Paul Jaquays and
deserves to be recognized as such. However, I
happen to think there are many other Judges Guild
modules even more deserving of being here, such
as Caverns of Thracia and Tegel Manor (among
others). Were I to make my own top 30, you can be
sure quite a few JG adventures would bump many
of the entries in this somewhat myopic list.
I never owned any of the Carl Sargent era
Greyhawk modules, so I can't comment on this
one, which I believe is about the empire of Iuz.
27. The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, 1981 (U1)
Like most of the TSR UK modules, this one was
excellent, being another great starting module that
combines a fascinating little town with adventuring
locales and adventure hooks. The rest of the U
 Murder at Baulder's Gate
Q series
B series Q1 Queen of the Demonweb Pits (10-14)
H1 Bloodstone Pass (13-17)
B1 In search of the Unknown (1-3) H2 The Mines of Bloodstone (16-18)
B2 The Keep on the Borderlands (1-3) D&D4 Revenge of the Giants
H3 The Bloodstone Wars (17-20)
B4 Lost City (1-3) H4 The Trone of Bloodstone (18-100)
S series
S1 Tomb of Horrors (10-14)
T series S2 White Plume Mountain (5-10)
T1 The Village of Hommlet (1) S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks (8-12)
S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (6-10) I1: Dwellers of the Forbidden City
T2-4 Tomb of Elemental Evil (1-8)

X series A1-4: Scourge of the Slavelords

A series: X1 Isle of Dread (3-7)
X2 Castle Amber (3-6) S4: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth
Scourge of the Slavelords
A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity (4-7) WG4: The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun
A2 Secret of the Slavers Stockade (4-7) N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God (1-3)
A3 Assault on the Aeirie of the Slave Lords (4-7)
A4 In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords (4-7) U1: The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh

U1 The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh (1-3)

Q1: Queen of the Demonweb Pits
U2 Danger at Dunwater (1-4)
GDQ1-7 U3 The Final Enemy (3-5)
Queen of the Spiders
(supermodule: G1-3 + D1-3 + Q1)
I1 Dwellers of the Forbidden City (4-7) Lich-Queens Beloved

G series: I3-5 Desert of Desolation (5-10) Dead Gods

Against the Giants, The Liberation
I6 Ravenloft (5-7)
of Geoff I10 Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill (8-
The Gates of Firestorm Peak
G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief (8+) 10)
G2 Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl (8+) The Forge of Fury
G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King (8+) WG4 The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun (5-10)

D series Die Vecna Die! (10-13)

D1 Descent into the Depths of the Earth (9-14) WGA4 Vecna Lives! (12-15)
D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa (9-14)
D3 Vault of the Drow (10-14)