Greatest D&D Adventure Modules of All Time (GeekDo + RPG.net + Dungeon + Hahn Library)
Chris Flood
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This list identifies the most highly-regarded Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) adventure modules of all time based on the rankings from GeekDo, RPG.net, Dungeon Magazine, and the Hahn Library. I realize you could use solely Dungeon's list or this list of GeekDo favorites, but neither aggregates the ratings and rankings across several sources.

To facilitate the play of these modules, I've made an effort to place all of these modules into various campaigns that focus on a specific setting, theme, or storyline. The campaign with which I associate each module is noted in its description.

Method: Adventures all must be in the top 10 of GeekDo, RPG.net, Dungeon, or Hahn Library, in the top 20 of two of those lists, or the top 30 of three. They must also have at least 12 votes or ratings (counting RPG.net reviews as 4 ratings) from at least one source. I put all adventures that make that cut together into a single list of modules, ranked them based on ratings from each source, and averaged the four rankings together to get the final order below.

Update 1/26/10: I added several modules and that recently reached at least 12 ratings on GeekDo. Recent ratings also shifted the rankings of many modules that had already been on the list.
Update 1/29/10: I incorporated Dungeon's ranking, which tend to correspond with the GeekDo ranking but still promoted a couple overlooked modules that RPG.net likes.
Update 2/1/10: I added the rankings from the Hahn Library, which actually include more votes than any other ranking so far.
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Posted Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:28 am
Edited Tue Feb 2, 2010 3:01 am
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1. RPG Item: I6: Ravenloft [Average Rating:8.10 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 5

#2-ranked in Dungeon
#5-ranked on RPG.net
#6-ranked on Hahn Library
#8-ranked on GeekDo

Included in the D&D Campaign of Eerie Horror
1
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 5:46 pm
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2. RPG Item: GDQ 1-7: Queen of the Spiders [Average Rating:7.50 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 6

#1 in Dungeon
#2 on Hahn Library
5.4 average ranking of G1-3, D1-2, D3, and Q1 on GeekDo
17.4 average ranking of G1-3, D1-2, D3, and Q1 on RPG.net

Part of the legendary World of Greyhawk TAGDQ series.
3. RPG Item: D3: Vault of the Drow [Average Rating:8.17 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 9

#3-ranked on RPG.net
#5-ranked on GeekDo
#18-ranked Hahn Library

Included with Queen of the Spiders in Dungeon's ranking

Part of the legendary World of Greyhawk TAGDQ series.
3
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 6:18 pm
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4. RPG Item: T1-4: The Temple Of Elemental Evil [Average Rating:7.56 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 10

#4-ranked in Dungeon
#10-ranked on GeekDo
#12-ranked on Hahn Library
#16-ranked on RPG.net

D&D 3.5e Conversion for the Village of Hommlet
Part of the legendary World of Greyhawk TAGDQ series.
4
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 6:19 pm
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5. RPG Item: G1-2-3: Against the Giants [Average Rating:8.09 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 11

#4-ranked on GeekDo
#8-ranked on Hahn Library
#20-ranked on RPG.net

Included with Queen of the Spiders in Dungeon's ranking

D&D 3.5e Conversion
Part of the legendary World of Greyhawk TAGDQ series.
4
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 7:48 pm
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6. RPG Item: D1: Descent into the Depths of the Earth [Average Rating:6.69 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 11

#3-ranked on GeekDo
#15-ranked on RPG.net
#15-ranked on Hahn Library

Included with Queen of the Spiders in Dungeon's ranking

Part of the legendary World of Greyhawk TAGDQ series.
2
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 7:48 pm
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7. RPG Item: S3: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks [Average Rating:7.50 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 14

#5-ranked in Dungeon
#12-ranked on GeekDo
#13-ranked on RPG.net
#24-ranked on Hahn Library

Included in the Adventurers-for-Hire campaign.
4
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Edited Tue Feb 2, 2010 1:51 am
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Wulf Corbett
Scotland
Shotts
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I think I've ran this adventure 3 or 4 times - but never with any version of D&D!

Once with GURPS, once with Universe and once with RuneQuest, plus possibly once with The Fantasy Trip.
8. RPG Item: S1: Tomb of Horrors [Average Rating:7.84 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 14

#3-ranked in Dungeon
#7-ranked on GeekDo
#17-ranked on Hahn Library
#31-ranked on RPG.net

Included in the Forbidden Isles: An Old School D&D Sandbox Campaign
4
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Edited Tue Feb 2, 2010 2:39 am
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9. RPG Item: S2: White Plume Mountain [Average Rating:8.12 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 18

#9-ranked on GeekDo
#9-ranked in Dungeon
#19-ranked on RPG.net
#22-ranked on Hahn Library

Revised version for D&D 3.5e

Included in the Adventurers-for-Hire campaign.
5
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Edited Tue Feb 2, 2010 1:51 am
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10. RPG Item: X2: Castle Amber (Château d' Amberville) [Average Rating:7.88 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 15

#11-ranked on Hahn Library
#13-ranked on GeekDo
#15-ranked in Dungeon
#22-ranked on RPG.net

Included in the D&D Campaign of Eerie Horror
2
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 7:50 pm
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11. RPG Item: U1: The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh [Average Rating:8.14 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 15

#2-ranked on GeekDo
#12-ranked on RPG.net
#20-ranked on Hahn Library
#27-ranked in Dungeon

D&D 3.5e Conversion

Included in the Secrets of Lendore Isle mini-campaign.
4
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Edited Wed Feb 3, 2010 12:43 am
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Michael Harnish
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This is by far my favorite AD&D module - the other two in the series are also quite good.
12. RPG Item: B2: The Keep on the Borderlands [Average Rating:7.87 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 16

#1-ranked on GeekDo
#7-ranked in Dungeon
#25-ranked on Hahn Library
#29-ranked on RPG.net

D&D 3.5e Conversion

Included in the Secrets of Lendore Isle mini-campaign.
4
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Edited Wed Feb 3, 2010 12:43 am
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13. RPG Item: S4: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth [Average Rating:8.04 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 16

#6-ranked on GeekDo
#16-ranked on RPG.net
#18-ranked on Hahn Library
#22-ranked in Dungeon

Revised version for D&D 3.5e

Included in the D&D Campaign of Eerie Horror
5
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 7:53 pm
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14. RPG Item: A4: In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords [Average Rating:7.79 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 16

#11-ranked on RPG.net
#14-ranked on GeekDo
#18-ranked on Hahn Library
#20-ranked in Dungeon

D&D 3.5e Conversion
Part of the legendary World of Greyhawk TAGDQ series.
2
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 7:53 pm
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Michael Bachelor
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I have a fondness for the slaver series. They were designed to be run at conventions and the like, so you get a feel for how to make a very fast paced scenario. That means it's also a bit linear sometimes, but that is the difference between an adventure and a campaign...
15. RPG Item: I3-5: Desert of Desolation [Average Rating:7.85 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 16

#6-ranked in Dungeon
#11-ranked on GeekDo (#9 Pharaoh, #24 Oasis of the White Palm, #28 Lost Tomb of Martek)
#20-ranked on Hahn Library
#27-ranked on RPG.net

Part of the Old School D&D Deserts Campaign
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 7:54 pm
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16. RPG Item: Q1: Queen of the Demonweb Pits [Average Rating:7.72 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 16

#15 on GeekDo
#16 on Hahn Library
#18 on RPG.net

Included with Queen of the Spiders in Dungeon's ranking

Part of the legendary World of Greyhawk TAGDQ series.
1
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 7:55 pm
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17. RPG Item: B10: Night's Dark Terror [Average Rating:9.12 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 17

#1-ranked on Hahn Library
#9-ranked on RPG.net
#26-ranked on GeekDo (officially unranked)
#31-ranked in Dungeon (unranked)

Costing about $60, this module is one of the few that does not show up anywhere on my other lists.
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 7:56 pm
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Phillip Lewis
United States
Albuquerque
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One of my favorite adventures - from any system. Not surprising, given the overlap with the design team from WFRP's "The Enemy Within". Wish I hadn't lost all my counters years and years ago. :(
Eric Dodd
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The White Dwarf review at the time suggested this should be sold with the Expert set as an ideal link from Basic to Expert. Good stuff.
18. RPG Item: Return to the Tomb of Horrors [Average Rating:7.44 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 20

#9-ranked on Hahn Library
#10-ranked in Dungeon
#27-ranked on GeekDo
#35-ranked on RPG.net

Included in the list of Top-Rated D&D Modules Best Run as One Shots
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Edited Wed Feb 3, 2010 2:14 am
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19. RPG Item: A1: Slave Pits of the Undercity [Average Rating:7.38 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 21

#19-ranked on GeekDo
#20-ranked in Dungeon
#21-ranked on RPG.net
#25-ranked on Hahn Library

Part of the legendary World of Greyhawk TAGDQ series.
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 7:57 pm
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20. RPG Item: X1: The Isle of Dread [Average Rating:6.94 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 22

#16-ranked in Dungeon
#17-ranked on RPG.net
#23-ranked on GeekDo
#30-ranked on Hahn Library

Included in the Forbidden Isles: An Old School D&D Sandbox Campaign
2
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Edited Tue Feb 2, 2010 2:40 am
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21. RPG Item: G2: What Evil Lurks [Average Rating:10.00 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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Average Rank = 22

#4-ranked on RPG.net
#30-ranked on GeekDo
#31-ranked in Dungeon (unranked)

Hahn Library ranks only TSR, WotC, and Judge's Guild modules.

Included in the D&D Campaign of Eerie Horror
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 7:58 pm
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22. RPG Item: Book One: The Longest Night [Average Rating:9.00 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
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California
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Average Rank = 22

#2-ranked on RPG.net
#31-ranked in Dungeon (unranked)
#32-ranked on GeekDo (officially unranked)

Hahn Library ranks only TSR, WotC, and Judge's Guild modules.

Included in the list of Top-Rated D&D Modules Best Run as One Shots
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Edited Wed Feb 3, 2010 2:14 am
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Michael Harnish
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A cool series of adventures set in one of the best conceived settings out there even if it's a poor fit for D20 IMO. My only problem with the adventures is that, as written, they rely on pure railroading and GM fiat to work - there's even advice in the modules on how to foil the players should they attempt to go off the tracks. :gulp: Oh and that the covers give away the identity of the main adversary right from the start.:what:
23. RPG Item: Dark Tower [Average Rating:9.30 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Average Rank = 22

#7 on Hahn Library
#21 in Dungeon
#29 on RPG.net
#31 on GeekDo

Included in the Forbidden Isles: An Old School D&D Sandbox Campaign
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Edited Wed Feb 3, 2010 12:44 am
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24. RPG Item: I1: Dwellers of the Forbidden City [Average Rating:7.58 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Average Rank = 22

#13-ranked in Dungeon
#18-ranked on GeekDo
#25-ranked on RPG.net
#32-ranked on Hahn Library

Included in the Forbidden Isles: An Old School D&D Sandbox Campaign
3
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Edited Tue Feb 2, 2010 2:40 am
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25. RPG Item: Dead Gods [Average Rating:7.50 Unranked]
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Chris Flood
United States
Oakland
California
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Average Rank = 22

#4-ranked on Hahn Library
#14-ranked in Dungeon
#34-ranked on RPG.net
#38-ranked on GeekDo

The only module here placed in the Planescape setting, I have not included it in any of my campaign lists. It also costs nearly $60 on Amazon.com, more than most of said campaigns.
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Edited Mon Feb 1, 2010 7:59 pm
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Michael Harnish
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Interesting because most of the ones I would have chosen were on the list, although a few are missing and a few surprises ended up on the list instead.
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