You’ve finally done it, you’ve found a group of friends who can meet two or three times a month to play, your party’s ranger is letting you use their FANTASTIC gaming table, everything is falling into place. The last bit still stands: what Dungeons & Dragons story are you going to tell at your table?
As someone who’s favorite hobby is pouring a stiff one, turning on Buffy, and scrolling through DMs Guild during their spare time, I feel uniquely qualified to speak on this topic.
BEST COMEDY: Weekend at Strahd's
Stuck in your high-level dungeon crawl and want a game filled with pop-culture references that will make you laugh? Weekend at Strahd’s is the perfect one-shot for the table that needs to let off some steam. Your party is tasked with searching for the Pentaforce around Strahd’s gigantic castle, while dragging his corpse along. Beware the wraith Ricky Roll who might follow your party around, the poltergeist Ilya forcing his parents to dance around the dinner table, the ghoulish aerobics class happening on the roof, Weekend at Strahd’s is a romp through 80s pop culture. Complete with a playlist of crowd pleasing favorites, your party will have the time of their lives trying to survive the horrors of Strahd’s castle.
Bonus points: Have your players make characters inspired by different 80s movies tropes! Valley girl barbarian, glam rock bard, aerobics instructor monk, the possibilities are endless!
BEST COZY: Eyes Unclouded
In this D&D 5e anthology adventure, your party moves through adventures inspired by Japanese animation films, such as Studio Ghibli. The adventures can be played as a one shot for a specific level of players, or allow your players to move through this cozy, wonderful world. Each adventure is accompanied by a recipe, like Cindereling Cake Pops to Syd’s Stew Recipe, if you want to fully immerse your players in the cozy world you have built. Due to its anthology structure, this is also the perfect module for a group that may not be able to meet consistently.
Bonus points: Have your players make characters inspired by these Japanese animation films. Not only will they fit the world perfectly, but they might be able to have direct ties to the various adventures within the module!
BEST RE-IMAGING: One Night Strahd
Curse of Strahd is one of the most beloved adventures in D&D canon, and it’s no surprise that there are so many modules and one shots inspired by it (there’s another one mentioned in this very article!!), but One Night Strahd rises above them all by delving deep into Barovia’s lore. The game can be run with one DM and six players, but offers the opportunity for two groups to play co-currently. The parties can face two vampire lords, one being Strahd, the other being Ireena, turned into a vampire. The two are stuck in a brutal cycle as they fight and kill each other again and again. Hauntingly beautiful, One Night Strahd takes a beloved module and turns it into something fresh and new, intriguing the most veteran of players.
Bonus points: Bring in your characters from a prior campaign set in Barovia, especially if they died before making it to the end of the story!
BEST FAMILY: Neverland: The Impossible Island
A sourcebook with two adventures within it, Neverland: The Impossible Island takes the classic setting from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan and makes it compatible with D&D. Beloved characters, such as Peter Pan, Wendy, the crocodile, and many more roam the island, each with their own stat blocks and abilities. Create your own adventure on the island, or follow one of the two that come with it, this is the perfect setting for anyone that may want to play with children in their group. Given the familiarity with the story, younger players will be excited to join factions, explore the island, fight pirates, join the Lost Ones, and see their favorite characters in a new light!
Bonus points: Have players choose characters across the board from Peter Pan (a pirate, fairy, Lost One, etc), to create a diverse and intriguing party for the adventure at hand.
Need more ideas? Find beginner-friendly DMs Guild adventures here and high-level ones here!
Madeleine is a writer, performer, and comedian based in the Los Angeles area.
