Top 5 Dungeons & Dragons Modules For New DMs
Getting into Dungeons & Dragons can be a daunting undertaking for the uninitiated. Mountains of books, hundreds of monsters, and countless pitfalls that newbie dungeon masters can quickly encounter. However, there is an easy introduction to this beautiful world of fantasy, adventure modules. These pre-built campaigns act as both an introduction to the world of DnD and as a tutorial for dungeon masters who may have trouble coming up with their own story.
However, some modules are more complex, both from a narrative and mechanical standpoint; with that in mind, let me go into a small list of the best modules for new DMs. While reading, keep in mind that these modules are listed in the order of ease of play for new DMs, not necessarily their overall popularity.
1. Water Deep: Dragon Heist
This module takes players into the titular city of Waterdeep, the jewel of the Sword Coast. A massive cache of gold, called Dragons by the people of Waterdeep, is up for grabs within the medieval metropolis. With such a lucrative boon up for grabs, the dungeon master is given a host of villainous, lore rich figures from the Forgotten Realms to choose for the game's antagonist. This adventure will take your players from the first through the fifth level.
Compared to most other modules, it is more roleplay and investigation focused. The plot can be somewhat complicated, but with a good read-through (which will be pretty quick and easy due to the game's short length), even novice DMs can get a handle on it.
2. Ghosts of Saltmarsh
The Ghosts of Saltmarsh takes place in the small town named, as you may have guessed, Saltmarsh. It has a strong focus on exploration, sea travel, monster hunting, and city politics. A coastal themed campaign setting and adventure module, this book brings your players up to the twelfth level with a small series of adventures that all interconnect in the locale and its surrounding waters.
The campaign book has some great mechanics to run sea travel and ship play; specifically, it has a great hex map and a treasure trove of random tables that the DM can use to make fantastic encounters. It's a substantial addition to any DMs library. Still, it works exceptionally well as a learning tool for new DMs looking to learn how to make an open world, sandbox adventures.
3. Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
The most recent installment from Wizards of the Coast, Rime of the Frostmaiden, brings your players to the far north's icy reaches. A fallen god, deviously evil wizards, and an entombed ancient city, this frost covered module is filled to the brim with some fantastical story elements. This story is long, all the way to the twelfth level, but amazingly rich and incredibly engaging. But beyond the compelling content, the real seller for me is the efficient layout of the book.
Each chapter has a simple and effective structure for their quests, compartmentalizing your characters' play area into easy to play bites. It starts with the main towns, each having a single quest, which brings your characters to the fourth level. Afterward, they go beyond the towns' reaches to the surrounding wilderness and three to four more levels. This process follows into a more linear campaign at level seven, leading directly into the final chapters.
This effective system makes running the campaign DM friendly. Each section of the adventure is easily manageable and contained while still being interconnected.
4. The Curse of Strahd
Considered by many, and rightfully so, to be the best module written for the 5th edition regarding narrative, Curse of Strahd is an epic tale to behold. Drawing players into the mystical realm of Ravenloft, your intrepid group will face gothic-drenched danger and blood-soaked intrigue around every corner. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, gargoyles, and a cursed, broken family line make for one of the most compelling narratives and locations in all the Forgotten Realms.
This module has a strong focus on horror and hardship and is not for the faint of heart. This is all great for the players; as for the DM, the tight narrative combined with the enclosed and controlled location makes for a relatively easy DMing experience. Ravenloft is a small location with a good number of points of interest, all of which are relevant to Strahd's tale and Ravenloft's history. Reading through the book is a breeze, and telling the story is both exciting and enjoyable. Overall an excellent experience for new DMs and players, albeit a possibly traumatizing one.
5. Lost Mines of Phandelver
The Lost Mines of Phandelver is an adventure in the Essential Kit released at the beginning of the 5th edition. It is considered one of the best-published adventures in 5e as well as the easiest to run. Being written for the functional starter kit of 5e, Wizards wrote this short adventure as an introduction to the hobby; with new players and DMs in mind, it was designed to be as simple as it is enjoyable.
It's a classic and fun-filled tale for new and experienced players from adventuring in goblin filled mines to dark necromancers and spider-filled caverns. All centered around the town of Phandalin, your party will grow as local heroes as they discover the town's dark secrets and confront its powerful adversaries. Overall, it is a great, small scale story that is easy to pick up and play. If you've never run a single session of DnD before, you can buy the Essentials Kit with literally nothing else and get started.
Opinions and Perspectives
FlowStateZen
3 years ago
The town council dynamics in Saltmarsh created great roleplaying opportunities.
RapGodFan
3 years ago
Dragon Heist's urban setting really pushes creative problem-solving over combat.
Aria_Sky92
3 years ago
I appreciated how Frostmaiden eased players into the horror elements gradually.
LostInData
3 years ago
The NPC motivations in Strahd are so well written. Made them easy to roleplay.
Multiverse_Theorist_999
3 years ago
Saltmarsh's coastal setting was a nice change from typical fantasy environments.
Everly_J
3 years ago
Mixing different villains' plots in Dragon Heist created some amazing unexpected moments.
GlowUpNutrition
3 years ago
The magic item progression in Lost Mines is perfect for teaching new players about equipment.
Zen-Vibes_Only
3 years ago
I found the pacing in Frostmaiden's early chapters a bit slow for my group.
Gwen-Glover
3 years ago
The social encounters in Dragon Heist helped my players learn about roleplaying naturally.
Guthrie_Gazette
3 years ago
Running ship combat in Saltmarsh was challenging at first but really rewarding once we got it down.
Daphne_Ford
3 years ago
Frostmaiden's chapter progression feels very natural. My players never felt railroaded.
SophiaDavis
3 years ago
The seasonal villain aspect of Dragon Heist adds so much replay value to the module.
MysticVortex
3 years ago
My players still talk about their first encounter with the dragon in Lost Mines. Such a classic moment!
Musical_Lover_44
3 years ago
I love how Strahd can be both linear and sandbox depending on how you run it.
HackerVision
3 years ago
The mystery elements in Frostmaiden kept my players engaged through the whole campaign.
MelanieX
3 years ago
Saltmarsh's modular structure let me easily drop in my own side quests between chapters.
Zombie_Movie_Survivor
3 years ago
The faction system in Dragon Heist really helped my players get into character and develop motivations.
MelodyLover
3 years ago
Lost Mines taught me how to balance combat encounters effectively. Great learning experience.
Danica99
3 years ago
I actually found Dragon Heist harder to prep than Strahd. City campaigns need so much detail!
SyntheticExplorer
3 years ago
The environmental challenges in Frostmaiden were great for teaching new players about survival mechanics.
FitAndFueled
4 years ago
My favorite part of Strahd was the card reading. Really added to the replay value.
Mindful_Munchies_2024
4 years ago
Anyone try running these virtually? Found Saltmarsh's ship battles tricky online.
Sustainable-Soul_77
4 years ago
The smaller scope of Phandelver made it easier for me to flesh out NPCs and locations.
ChloeWalker
4 years ago
Dragon Heist worked better for my experienced players than newbies. They caught all the Forgotten Realms references.
Danielle_Shine
4 years ago
Rime of the Frostmaiden's layout is so DM-friendly. I wish all modules were structured this way.
Bee_Bulletin
4 years ago
I never thought about using Saltmarsh's random tables in other settings. That's brilliant!
TVShowFreak
4 years ago
The hex crawl system in Saltmarsh taught me so much about running exploration. Now I use it in all my games.
SpaceOpera_Lover_55
4 years ago
Strahd is amazing if you have the right group. My players were totally into the creepy atmosphere.
Stargazer101
4 years ago
The Redbrands section of Lost Mines is perfect for teaching new DMs how to handle urban intrigue on a small scale.
SkylineVibes
4 years ago
Agree about Dragon Heist's villains. Each one offers such different gameplay experiences. We ended up running it twice!
Eloise-Caldwell
4 years ago
The early chapters of Frostmaiden were great but I felt it lost focus in the later levels.
DriveIn_Theater_Kid_99
4 years ago
Lost Mines definitely deserves its top spot for new DMs. The linear structure helped me learn pacing.
FilmGuru
4 years ago
I combined elements from Saltmarsh with Dragon Heist to create a coastal city campaign. Worked surprisingly well!
ClassicHollywoodElite
4 years ago
The villains in Dragon Heist are so well written. Jarlaxle became an instant favorite with my group.
TheGlitchMaster
4 years ago
Anyone else find the final dungeon in Phandelver a bit deadly for level 4 characters? My party nearly wiped.
Organic_Fuel_101
4 years ago
The weather mechanics in Frostmaiden added such great atmosphere. Really made the setting feel alive and dangerous.
Sophie_Blossom
4 years ago
Personally I appreciate the straightforward nature of Lost Mines. Sometimes simple hack-and-slash is exactly what new players need.
TechRogue
4 years ago
I wish Lost Mines had more roleplay opportunities. It feels very combat-focused compared to something like Dragon Heist.
Maher_Musings
4 years ago
The sandbox nature of Rime of the Frostmaiden's early chapters gave my players so much freedom. They loved exploring at their own pace.
JocelynX
4 years ago
You're not alone! My Strahd turned into a slightly gothic sitcom. Still had fun though!
MariaS
4 years ago
I struggled with balancing the horror elements in Strahd. My players ended up treating it more like a comedy than horror story.
DramaSeriesLover
4 years ago
The town of Saltmarsh makes such a great home base. My players really got invested in the local politics and NPCs.
Hustle_With-Heart_42
4 years ago
That's actually what I liked about Dragon Heist. Perfect length for learning the ropes without committing to a year-long campaign.
LaceyM
4 years ago
Dragon Heist seems too short to me. Only going to level 5? I prefer longer campaigns like Frostmaiden.
SableX
4 years ago
The best thing about Phandelver is how naturally it introduces basic D&D concepts. My players learned as they played without feeling overwhelmed.
EcoFriendlyLife
4 years ago
I found the ship combat rules in Saltmarsh pretty confusing at first. Took me a while to get comfortable with them.
BellaSimmons
4 years ago
My group just finished Ghosts of Saltmarsh and the naval mechanics were fantastic. The random encounter tables really saved me when I needed quick content.
MikeWrites
4 years ago
The contained setting of Ravenloft actually makes Strahd easier to run than you might think. Everything ties together naturally.
OutdoorExplorer
4 years ago
I'm surprised Curse of Strahd is recommended for new DMs. The gothic horror elements require a lot of atmosphere building skills.
FantasyFlicks_Lover
4 years ago
The quest structure in Frostmaiden is brilliant. Each town having its own contained quest really helped me keep things organized when I ran it.
Potterhead98
4 years ago
Has anyone tried running Rime of the Frostmaiden? I'm thinking about it for my next campaign but worried about managing all those locations.
Valeria_Bailey
4 years ago
Really? I loved Dragon Heist! The urban setting was a refreshing change from typical dungeon crawls. My players had a blast with all the intrigue.
Sullivan_Story
4 years ago
I actually found Waterdeep Dragon Heist a bit overwhelming as a new DM. The city politics and multiple villains were hard to keep track of.
80s_Nostalgia_Kid
4 years ago
Lost Mines of Phandelver was my first experience DMing and I couldn't agree more. It's perfectly structured for beginners with just the right amount of complexity.